That's Where You Take Me
by Apollonia Veritas
Summary: Draco Malfoy meets someone from his past during his seventh and final year at Hogwarts...which turns out to be quite an interesting year indeed...
1. In the Dark of the Night

This is going to be the only disclaimer in my whole story cuz I'm too damn lazy, so all you lawyers listen up good: this isn't my story, i own maybe one character, that i'm really starting to believe has a mind of her own, and the plot, so you can't sue me cuz I say this mosta this stuff isn't mine. And if you did, the most you would get not worth sueing me for. Without further ado, I present to you...  
  
That's Where You Take Me  
  
Chapter 1: In the Dark of the Night  
  
"Damn the whole world!" Draco Malfoy thought venomously. Draco went to Hogwarts, the school for young wizards and witches, where he was now. He thought himself to be the best looking and smartest boy here. He was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and he was the Head Boy. At the moment, however, the only thing on Draco's mind was his anger. Too many things had been recently disrupting his life. The beginning of his seventh and final year of school, Draco thought there was no hope or future for himself. Just this past summer, Draco's father Lucius, already an abusing man, beat him more harshly than ever, before he walked out on Draco and his mother, leaving them totally alone, to follow the Dark Lord Voldemort. It had happened because Draco told Lucius he would not follow in his father's footsteps and become a Death Eater. Of course he hated Mudbloods and Muggles; he enjoyed it greatly when the Death Eaters attacked them, like at the Quidditch World Cup two years ago. And Draco couldn't give a damn less for them; but he certainly wasn't going to risk his own life to kill them, or to save them, either. Draco's thinking instinctively worked that way-- what can I get from this, will it jeopardize my safety? Draco's father was so outraged and ashamed, he used the Cruciatus curse, a curse he had never before used on his son, and left immediately. Draco hadn't heard from his father since then, and was glad of it.  
  
He was out on the school grounds, even though it was well past midnight. Draco had often walked alone in the dark of the night...he always walked alone. He sat down beside the lake, its black water reflecting his handsome but sullen face. Silvery gray eyes, pale blonde hair, long and fine. Draco's coloring was very pale. He was very paranoid, and didn't trust many people, and through he was very skilled in hiding emotions. Draco had gone through a lot of girls, but he'd also been going through a phase of fearing loneliness. Now solitude was what Draco wanted, although he couldn't seem to break the pattern he and Pansy Parkinson kept circling in, going on and off with their relationship, which was on as of now. Draco didn't know why he was wasting time with her, probably because there was nothing better to do, and there wasn't anyone else to be with. He just didn't feel it necessary to actually tell Pansy he didn't want to be with her now, or ever again. It would happen soon enough, and next time would never happen again. "Of course, I believe I've said that before," Draco thought gloomily. His father approved of Draco's relationship with Pansy, which was incredible; he rarely approved of anything Draco did or had. It was probably only because she was a pureblood though; if not for that, Draco was sure his father would have seen Pansy for the trash she was.  
  
"When I'm out of school, everything will change. I can start over again. I can be Draco Malfoy, not Lucius Malfoy's son," Draco thought calmly. He had no plans to make something of himself, though, other than become a seeker for one of the British Quidditch teams. Flying was one of the only things Draco enjoyed. When he was in the air, he was a new person, faster than anything, above everything. At night was Draco's favorite time to fly, with the stars above him like a blanket. He wished he had brought his broom with him tonight. It was a Firebolt he got in his fourth year. Draco had no idea why he was at the lake. He hated water, he only tolerated drinking it in a glass. Draco looked around at the other side of the lake. There was a small soft-looking pile of what he wasn't quite sure. He got up and walked over to examine it. It was a pile of clothes, girl clothes. There were school robes, a small shirt, jeans, sneakers, and--  
  
"A thong? Hm, how cute," Draco snickered to himself, mildly interested.  
  
"Er...mind giving that back?" questioned a voice, girlish and sounding like she was about to laugh. Her hair was long and brown, floating in the water around her from what he could see. Draco smirked, and threw it back on the pile of clothes, which was now out of the girl's reach.  
  
"Well, well, well. Why don't you come out and get it?" he suggested smugly. Draco knew this could go a few ways. At one end of the spectrum, the girl could get very offended and turn her wand on him; but on the other hand, he might wind up cheating on Pansy and have a one-night stand. He honestly didn't care which way it went. He was quicker than many with his wand, something his wonderful father had taught him. And if he cheated on Pansy and Pansy found out, he wouldn't feel guilty (mainly because he didn't know how to feel many emotions and guilt was among the many) but relief from the perpetual marital status; the relationship was purely physical on his part. This girl was easily much better looking as well. The girl shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"All right then." Draco raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected her to say okay, but he wasn't complaining. She was wearing her bra, but oh well. That could come off quickly if he played his cards right. He didn't recognize this girl at all, but the necklace she wore...a silver locket, and an emerald stone in the middle. That seemed familiar. But she didn't. Draco was wondering if she was new, when he realized she was still staring up at him from the water.  
  
"Well?" he said impatiently. He had better things to do than wait around for this girl, who wasn't even a Slytherin. She looked as though she was about to hop out onto the banks, but instead she pulled him in with her. Draco clenched his jaw to keep from screaming, although the fear was turning his blood ice-cold. He thrashed about and finally hit the surface. The girl was sitting on the bank, fully dressed, giving him a smirk.  
  
"What were you thinking?!" Draco said angrily. "I might have drowned!" The smirk disappeared from the girl's face as a look of hurt crossed it for a second.  
  
"Can't you swim?" she asked curiously. Her clothes were sticking to her, her robe was still on the ground; and Draco couldn't help but think she had a great body as well.  
  
"Yes. But it's nearly October, and it's chilly anyway," Draco answered , irritated. He hurriedly climbed out and sat beside her, glaring down at the water as though it was the water's fault. He felt something being thrown over him. Draco looked, and there was a fluffy towel around his shoulders.  
  
"You're going to catch a cold," the girl said sweetly, standing up. She draped on her robes and pulled her wand out from a pocket inside, and pointed the wand at herself. "Evaporo," she said, and she was totally dry, the long, wet hair springing into slightly shorter but dry curls, and then turned the wand on Draco. He jabbed into his robes and brandished his wand, but she only repeated the charm. As he lowered his wand, he noticed the look she gave him not one that wasn't a sneer, but a look rather of sympathy.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said sadly. Draco wasn't sure what she meant. Her spell had worked, he was completely dry. Draco hated it when people didn't explain what they meant by the things they said or did. There always had to be a reason for anything. One of the few useful things his father taught him.  
  
"Why?" he demanded to know harshly.  
  
"You haven't any trust," she said simply.  
  
"No bloody joke! I just met you and you nearly tried to drown me!" Draco exploded, his temper getting the better of him. The girl gave him a little smile.  
  
"But you had my underwear," she explained, as though that was a perfectly legitimate reason. The two just stared at each other, her stare thoughtful, his unsure confused uncertainty. Draco found his tongue quickly, and turned away, his arms crossed.  
  
"You don't even know me. You should get to know someone before you psychoanalyze them. And I don't need your towel," he finished stonily. But as he turned back to face her, whipping the towel off himself to hand it back to her, the girl was already a good distance away. She glanced back.  
  
"Goodbye Draco, see you around then," she called back, as if they were old friends.  
  
"Hey...HEY! Come back here, girl! How do you know my name?" Draco commanded her to tell. He hated to have people who knew his name when he didn't know theirs. He started to chase after her, still carrying the towel, and was gaining on her when they were half-way to the school. Draco heard a movement beside him, and glanced over, seeing nothing. When he looked back to see where the girl had went, she had disappeared. Draco was shocked; how could she have reached the rest of the way back to school in a split second? He shook his head. That girl was nutters, anyway. He huffed irritatedly, walking the rest of the way. Draco was slightly miffed with the way his walk had went. His dried hair, which without gel wouldn't slick down as usual, was now curled around his face at the end, and not so flat and thin looking. He hated his hair wavy like this! That girl was causing problems with him, and he didn't even know her name yet. He took a closer look at the towel around his shoulders, and groaned.  
  
"Well that explains it. A Gryffindor!" he muttered, seeing the scarlet and gold crest in the corner. Now he was thoroughly disgusted with this walk. 


	2. Formal Introductions (Or as Formal as Th...

Chapter 2: Formal Introductions (Or as Formal as They Get)  
  
Aquaria MacNamara sighed happily as she rolled over in her bed. It was Saturday morning, so she had been able to sleep in, putting her in her good mood, which was nearly never a rarity. Just then, Hermione Granger walked in, carrying her cat Crookshanks. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a little windblown; Aquaria guessed she had been outside, probably at Hogsmeade with Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.  
  
"'Lo, 'Mione," Aquaria greeted her, yawning. She and Hermione had become good friends since last quarter of last year, since Aquaria had switched dormitories.  
  
"Been to Hogsmeade, have you? Thought you had to study?" Hermione grinned.  
  
"Yeah well...Ron really wanted me to go," she explained, looking a little sheepish. "And I couldn't say no to his puppy dog eyes." The two girls laughed. Since the middle of fifth year, Ron and Hermione had officially become a couple.  
  
"So what do you plan on doing today, Aqua?" Aqua was Aquaria's nickname, partly from her name, and partly from the fact she loved swimming.  
  
"Not much, I suppose," Aquaria mused thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, why don't you come down to Hogsmeade with Ron, Harry and me? It'll be fun, come on!" Hermione persuaded.  
  
"Well, all right then. Give me a bit to get ready."  
  
"We'll be in the common room," Hermione told her as she left the dorm. Aquaria got ready quickly and hurried downstairs, knowing she was about to have a good time.  
  
A short while later, the four were coming out of Honeydukes, popping Every- Flavor Beans into their mouths and laughing.  
  
"You should have seen Snape's face when you nearly collided with him before getting the snitch, Harry!" snickered Ron. They were talking about the recent Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Harry had gained the position of captain, still the Gryffindor seeker.  
  
"Really; you'd think he'd have learned to keep out of your way when you're on the broom by now," laughed Hermione.  
  
"Ooh, he looked ready to spit venom!" giggled Aquaria.  
  
"It's nothing, I don't have a great talent; Snape just doesn't have any at all," joked Harry modestly. He never liked being showy about Quidditch, or really anything else. The four bustled into the Three Broomsticks, all still laughing.  
  
They sat down at a large empty table and ordered bitterer. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were having a conversation, but Aquaria wasn't paying attention. Last night's late night swim was nearly a fiasco, considering she was almost caught. By Draco Malfoy, too, and then she knew he would have told everyone her secret. Aquaria shook her head in a shiver, and reached up to her locket nervously. It was a silver locket, with an emerald gem in the middle that matched her eyes. Her mother gave it to her the day she was born. Aquaria could barely remember her mother anymore, except that she was quite beautiful, with long golden hair and big blue eyes. She had been told her mother was dead, but there was something about the way people told her that made Aquaria think maybe it wasn't true.  
  
"Especially if...well, I'll know soon enough," Aquaria thought determinedly.  
  
"Hello, Aqua, you still with us?" teased Harry, tapping her on the shoulder. Aquaria snapped back and grinned.  
  
"Just going over the answers in my head for Professor Binns's test Monday," she made up quickly, as Harry rolled his eyes, knowing Aquaria barely studied. Just then, the door opened, and in walked Draco Malfoy, flanked, of course, by Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Eek," squeaked Aquaria, and quickly turned her face away so Draco wouldn't see her. Hermione and Ron didn't notice, but Harry did.  
  
"Aquaria? What's wrong?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing at all, what ever gave you that idea?" Aquaria tried to reply casually, keeping her head down. Harry gave her a look.  
  
Draco glanced around the brightly lit pub, and narrowed his eyes at seeing Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter at a big table...sitting beside Potter was another girl...there was something familiar about her, but Draco didn't know what, and he couldn't really see her face clearly either.  
  
"Well boys, shall we harass Potter and his little friends?" Draco asked Crabbe and Goyle, a mean glint in his eye. He knew what the answers would be, "duh, yeah okay boss". These two lugs were tiresome to be around sometimes, considering their stupidity was remarkable. Draco honestly believed the only reason he hung around with them was because their families were close; and that was only because their fathers were Death Eaters, too.  
  
"Well, if it isn't famous Harry Potter himself," smirked Draco. "And the other two stooges." If looks could kill, Draco would have been dead three times. Ron's arms were already tensing up, and Hermione was holding on to one, trying to keep him seated.  
  
"Really Malfoy, I didn't think you kept up with old muggle television shows," Hermione retorted calmly. Inwardly, Draco fumed. The little Mudblood had gotten the better of him that time. Instead of retaliating with her, he decided to move onto Potter and the other girl.  
  
"Your new girlfriend, Potty?" Draco sneered, nodding at the girl. She still refused to look up at him. Potter glared at him.  
  
"You only wish you could do as well as Aquaria," he shot back. Draco snorted.  
  
"Do I?" he replied. "Does Aquaria speak for herself, or are you voice, Potter?" Aquaria, her temper getting the better of her, finally looked up.  
  
"Yes Draco, I do have a voice," she answered heatedly. "Now please go and leave us in peace." Her voice had a regal tone to it, and Draco had to admit to himself he was almost impressed. Then he looked at her face closely, and recognized Aquaria from the lake last night. Aquaria's eyes widened as Draco's narrowed; she realized he knew who she was now. Well, he really can't report me, because how could he explain to Professor McGonagall how he knew I was out of bed if he wasn't as well?" Aquaria reassured herself. She noticed the look on Draco's face turn from angry to sly.  
  
"No, no! We should really stay and talk, get to know each other. I mean, really, should we be enemies forever?" Draco said, his voice turning sarcastic. His pale eyes passed over the four of them, freezing on Aquaria the longest, glinting silvery in a cunning way. Aquaria shivered and lowered her eyes away from his.  
  
"C'mon boys; let's leave these Muggle-lovers to themselves," Draco said disgustedly, sneering at Ron as Ron bristled. He glanced quickly back at Aquaria, who was looked back at him, a weak smile on her face. Draco smirked back. "I'm sure I'll see you around again soon," he added smugly. Then he, Crabbe, and Goyle went to their own table and ordered food, Draco never taking his stare of Aquaria. Aquaria...very familiar. Now that he thought about it, he did remember Snape saying her name several times...Aquaria MacNamara, that was it. But that wasn't why it sounded so familiar. Well, Draco would find some way to make her pay for humiliating him last night, even though they were the only two witnesses. And when he was done, Little Miss MacNamara would be sorry. Draco smiled nastily.  
  
~*~  
  
Aquaria could feel Draco's stare on her, it wasn't comfortable at all. She knew he must still be very angry with her from last night. Aquaria didn't think he'd take it as bad as he had, but then Draco was very arrogant, and hated losing any dignity to anyone or thing.  
  
"Aqua, you all right?" Harry asked, becoming concerned at the frightened look on her face she didn't realize was there. Aquaria looked around at him and found Ron, Hermione and him all staring at her, somewhat curious and nervous. Aquaria cracked a small smile.  
  
"Please, I'm fine! Really you guys; why so worried-looking?" I can take care of myself," she added a bit defensively.  
  
"Well, what exactly did he mean by 'I'm sure I'll see you again soon' ?" Ron persisted. Aquaria shrugged.  
  
"Maybe he's got a crush on me because of my stunning good looks," she quipped sarcastically, tossing her hair. They all laughed. Aquaria was very pretty indeed, with big emerald green eyes, and curly medium brown hair that reached her hips, and in the sun shone with natural reddish-gold highlights. But the chance Draco Malfoy would like a close friend of Harry's was incredibly slim; he rarely went out with Gryffindors, with the exceptions of Parvati Patil and Lavendar Brown, who were known for their promiscuousness with the boys.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm Snape's favorite student too," snorted Harry. Aquaria looked back over at Draco's table as the other three became lost in conversation again, gazing at Draco thoughtfully. He had now stopped staring at her and looked lost in thought, a wistful look on his face. Aquaria's heart softened instinctively for a split second, there was a part of her that hated seeing anyone miserable; but then she remembered Draco was a horrible nasty little prat to her friends. Suddenly Draco turned his eyes back on her again and Aquaria looked away, embarrassed.  
  
"Well, I really should get going. I have to study for potions; I'm near to failing," Aquaria told the other three.  
  
"I'll meet you up in the common room in a bit and we can study together, if you want," Hermione offered.  
  
"All right! If I'm not there, I'll be in the library," Aquaria said. Ron groaned.  
  
"Oh no, Aquaria's catching the library bug from Hermione," he teased. Hermione gave him a pout.  
  
"Hey," she said, pretending to be mad. Ron put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Aw, 'Mione, you know I wouldn't have you any other way," he said sweetly. They kissed, and Aquaria's eyes wandered elsewhere. Glancing at Harry and catching his eye, the gave each other little smiles. Aquaria looked away, hoping she didn't blush, and looked back at Ron and Hermione; it was so obvious they were love. Aquaria was happy for them, but at the same time, jealous. It had been forever she dreamed of a fairy tale romance. She had had a few boyfriends, but none of them were special; they didn't make her heart beat wildly, her temperature rise, her knees weak, or have her continually smiling around them or at the thought of them. Aquaria stood up quickly, putting on her robes again.  
  
"See you all later, then!" she called over her shoulder as she left the pub. But instead of heading towards the school, she went on a walk through Hogsmeade. Little did she know she was being followed. 


	3. Impossibilities

Chapter 3: Impossibilities  
  
Aquaria breathed in the October air deeply and slowly as she walked down the lanes, waving to some of her friends. She enjoyed being out alone sometimes--it gave her the time and space to think. Night was even better. Aquaria was going down a less populated, less residential street now.  
  
"Oy! MacNamara! I want a word with you!" Aquaria turned around, a bit startled. She found Draco Malfoy storming up to her.  
  
"What is it, Draco?" she asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't be so loud.  
  
"Who the hell--wait a minute. Why do you keep calling me 'Draco'?" he spat angrily. Aquaria shrugged.  
  
"Well it's your name, isn't it?" she answered like it was the obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Your friends call me Malfoy," Draco told her, thinking that was all the explanation she'd need.  
  
"I know. But what does that have to do with me calling you Draco?"  
  
"Because we are not friends, and only my closest friends call me Draco. And as you are friends with Saint Potter of the Muggles and his crew, you are my enemy as much as they are!" he exploded. Aquaria looked at him for a second bewildered, and then laughed, walking off.  
  
"MacNamara get back here; I wasn't done! And another thing, who are you to laugh at me?" Draco began following her again. This girl was impossible to get through to, and twice as hard to get a straight answer out of. He finally caught up with her.  
  
"Call me Aquaria. Really, I hate using last names, it's so impersonal, I think," she said. "And Harry isn't the Muggles' saint...He's just not prejudice like you, and doesn't think Muggles are to be persecuted, which you do, that's all. And am I really your 'enemy'? I mean, come on, it's such a strong word, and you don't even know me," she finished, a coy smile playing about her lips. Draco stared skeptically at her. He had heard everything she had said, and was now trying to sort it all out. She had spoken so fast and had said so much, he was surprised she wasn't still talking now.  
  
"And what if I don't call you Aquaria?" Draco folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. If he was anything, it was obstinate, even with his friends.  
  
"Then I won't talk to you, since you seem to want to so badly," Aquaria said simply, imitating his stance. She gave him a smirk. They stared each other down a minute, Draco furious and Aquaria smug.  
  
"You Gryffindors are all impossible," Draco growled.  
  
"You Gryffindors are all impossible," Aquaria mimicked, copying his every move and trying hard not to laugh.  
  
"Are you mocking me?" he asked disbelievingly and squinting at her.  
  
"Are you mocking me?" she repeated him, scrunching up her nose at him. Draco resisted the urge to laugh at the face she was making.  
  
"Shut up already!"  
  
"Shut up already!" Draco sighed frustratedly and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know how to deal with this because no one had ever done this to him. Draco glanced back over at Aquaria, who batted her eyelashes innocently at him, her hands clasped behind her back.  
  
"Argh!" Draco yelled, throwing up his hand in surrender.  
  
"So we're done?" Aquaria asked cheerfully.  
  
"Yes. Yes, just get the hell away from me," Draco answered defeatedly.  
  
"Right. Buh-bye asshole!" Aquaria responded, skipping off the other way.  
  
"Hey! Remember who I am, MacNamara!" Aquaria, who was nearly halfway up the block, stopped and turned around slowly. Draco watched her, thinking she would probably be angry and try to attack him. "Well, as well as a Gryffindor girl could, anyways," he thought with superiority.  
  
"My apologies, oh Royal Prince Draco, from you ever-so-loyal servant--wait, slave; you wouldn't pay me--Aquaria," she said in a mockingly respectful voice, curtsying exaggeratedly as well.  
  
"Royal Prince Draco...has a nice ring to it... and you'll be my slave sooner or later," he said smugly. Aquaria looked him in the eyes unblinkingly a minute, then grinned and turned around, skipping back up towards the school. Draco watched her until she was out of sight.  
  
"Quirky little thing she was...obviously fits in perfectly with Potter's posse," he snickered to himself. "But if she wasn't with him, I believe we might have actually become...friends," Draco secretly thought. But it's not a possibility, now is it? asked a nasty little voice in his head." No, I suppose not. Impossible," he answered it out loud. "Royal Prince Draco...someone's called me that before, I think." He started heading back up towards the school himself. 


	4. The Library

Chapter 4: The Library  
  
Aquaria hurried into the library and glanced around quickly. She didn't want to explain to Hermione why she wasn't in either the library or Gryffindor Tower. Luckily, she didn't see very many people at all in the library.  
  
"Phew," she breathed relievedly. Aquaria grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from the spare quill cup, and found a book on Potions and sat down.  
  
"Now...Bliss Potions, Bliss Potions...where is that? Ah, here it is," she murmered to herself. It had been the last potion they'd covered in class and Aquaria had not fully understood how to make one, and had messed her mixture up a bit. Since they were sure to be on the finals, Aquaria knew she better learn the potion by heart. She wasn't very good at Potions, although unlike the other Gryffindors, Snape was as soft as he got with a student, especially a non-Slytherin. Aquaria tried to read, but she just couldn't keep on focus with the words on the page. Her mind was somewhere else...  
  
"Hey Aqua, how long have you been studying?" It was Harry. He was sitting beside her and she turned her head towards him.  
  
"Hm?" Aquaria's vision came back into focus and she blinked at Harry. He laughed.  
  
"Aqua, you haven't been studying at all, have you?" Aquaria pouted.  
  
"I have too!"  
  
"Studying what then?  
  
"Er...Bliss Potions." She shoved the book towards him. "Harry barely ever comes to the library; he just asks Hermione for help. I wonder what he's doing here?" she thought as Harry skimmed over the page.  
  
"What's the first ingredient you need?" he asked casually. Aquaria squirmed.  
  
"Erm....Dried Billywig stings?" she guessed. Harry grinned at her.  
  
"You got lucky," he teased, poking her in the stomach as they walked back to the shelves to put away the book. Aquaria frowned and then tickled him back. Harry laughed.  
  
"Don't Aqua, you know I'm ticklish!"  
  
"Well you know I am too." Harry grinned impishly at her.  
  
"No, actually; I didn't. Glad I do now." Hidden behind the shelves he grabbed her around the stomach, tickling her relentlessly as she giggled hysterically as they sank to the floor.  
  
"Harry Harry! Please--Please-please--STOP!" she gasped in a high-pitched voice between breaths.  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" said a cold voice. Both Aquaria and Harry looked up to see Draco, an angry look on his face.  
  
"Go away, Malfoy," Harry responded, sounding bored. Aquaria tried to keep a straight face.  
  
"Would you like to join us down here, Draco?" she asked politely. Draco rolled his eyes.  
  
"I doubt I was far from my guess in the Three Broomsticks earlier--" Draco would have continued, but Madam Pince had bustled up to them.  
  
"Here, what's this ruckus? If you want to be rambunctious, go out on the school grounds. But keep that out of the library!" she fussed.  
  
"Yes ma'am. We're sorry," Aquaria and Harry chorused, trying to sound apologetic and not laugh. Draco rolled his eyes. "They think they're so cute," he thought spitefully.  
  
"Good then." Madam Pince marched away to tell off a group of third year girls who were giggling, crowded around a book. Harry and Aquaria grinned at each other.  
  
"Say Aqua; I'm going to fly my broom around a bit out on the field, want to come with me?" he asked.  
  
"Well, okay. But don't think you're getting me up in the air!" she said, smirking at him.  
  
"Yeah, we'll see about that!"  
  
"What, afraid of heights, MacNamara?" Draco piped up. The two looked at him, not realizing til then he was still there. Aquaria was quiet a moment before breaking the silence.  
  
"Yes, I am, Draco; something wrong with that?" she answered curtly. Draco looked taken aback by Aquaria's assertiveness, but he sort of admired it.  
  
"Better hope no one pushes you off a broom," he said, regaining his composure.  
  
"Better hope no one pushes you in to a lake--or pulls you in," she retorted sweetly. Draco glared at her, angry a second, but then a small smirk came to his lips, and she returned it. "C'mon Harry let's go," she added, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him away. Draco didn't understand. Sometimes this girl seemed like she wanted to be his best friend--not that he could blame her--and other times she was just a little bitch. His cold silver eyes followed her and Potter on their way out of the library, she was still holding Potter's hand. Draco hadn't really thought she was Potter's girlfriend; he was just trying to irritate him as usual. A second before she passed through the door, Aquaria twisted her head back and locked eyes with him--and then they were gone.  
  
"Not fair!" Draco breathed infuriatedly. He then left for the Slytherin Dungeons quickly. 


	5. Firebolts, Forgotten Memories, and Flyin...

Chapter 5: Firebolts, Forgotten Memories, and Flying Mashed Potatoes  
  
Draco sat down on a large plush green sofa, deep in thought. The common room was empty; he supposed everyone was still out at Hogsmeade or elsewhere. He wanted to go out and see what MacNamara and Potter were doing exactly on the field...it would be fun to find McGonagall and possibly get them detention if they were doing anything...inappropriate. He smiled meanly, but his look soon turned sullen.  
  
"Hullo sugar---oh, what's wrong?" Pansy Parkinson, his on/off girlfriend purred, trying to curl up beside him on the sofa. Draco gave her an annoyed look, and got up, causing Pansy to fall onto the couch, and he paced in front of the fireplace. A second later he pointed his wand at it.  
  
"Infiernus," he muttered, and a huge blazing fire roared in the fire place. Pansy, on the other hand looked put out.  
  
"Draco, baby, please come play. We haven't had any fun lately," she pouted, lying on the couch, her head propped up on her elbow, trying to look sexy. Inwardly, Draco was disgusted. He was now seeing more flaws in her than before: she was getting pudgy, her hair was too short and badly dyed, her face looked much like a pug's. But in his head, the voice of experience (was it experience? Or maybe it was just the voice of stability who hated change) told him just to stay put with her until someone better came along. He decided to agree with that plan, and tried to soften his expression.  
  
"Pansy babe, I'm sorry I haven't been paying you much attention lately. I've just been swamped with schoolwork as Headboy and Quiddidch--I'm sorry," he said, mustering up his best apologetic tone. He strode over to her pulled her up to him and kissed her. It was easy enough, and it wasn't a deep kiss so that was a relief, but then Pansy wrapped her arms around his neck and stuck her tongue in his mouth. "Great, grand, wonderful," Draco thought sarcastically, but he responded. They sat down on the sofa, still kissing. "Well, if I'm going to have to do this, I may as well have fun," he thought smugly, even though in his heart (that thing worked?) for the first time ever it felt like something was telling him no. He paid it no mind as he pushed Pansy down and his hand started traveling up her shirt.  
  
"STOP!" a voice shrieked. Draco sat up instantly, tearing his lips away from Pansy's and taking his hands out from under her shirt. She pushed herself up on her elbows.  
  
"Draco, what's wrong?" Pansy asked, confused and beginning to get annoyed. He stared at her. Hadn't she heard the high-pitched scream? It was crazily impossible to miss--Draco had felt the whole room shake.  
  
"Pansy, I've got to go--I just remembered--No time to explain. I'll see you later," he mumbled, getting up and walking to his dorm. As he came out with his Firebolt and left the dungeons, he glanced at the ceiling, and saw the chandeliers swinging slowly, as though there had been a tremor in the room.  
  
~*~  
  
"Harry be careful! You're so high up there, aren't you afraid?" Aquaria asked, admiring the courage Harry had that she didn't. She had her shoes and socks off, and was soaking her feet in the squishy mud, which felt good between her toes. Harry came down and landed beside her.  
  
"Aqua, how can you worry about height when you're like a bird up there? Won't you please just come with me, just once?" he begged her. Aquaria shook her head firmly.  
  
"I prefer the ground or the water, thank you," she answered, her prim tone, then scrunching her nose up, which made him smile like it had when he first met her, almost a half a year ago.  
  
"I promise I won't let you fall! Honestly, how can you be so comfortable in the water, especially in the lake, with the Giant Squid, Merpeople, and Grindylows for starters?" he asked unbelievingly. "I mean, I know I'm in no hurry to get back there!" Harry was talking about the last time he'd been in the lake, which was in his fourth year for the Tri-Wizard Cup. Aquaria laughed.  
  
"The merpeople aren't all bad. They're misunderstood--like werewolves," she added, somewhat pointedly. Harry gave her a skeptical look.  
  
"Werewolves aren't always in that form--and they don't enjoy their state of being, and they're not proud of it," he told her defensively.  
  
"Merpeople don't always stay in the same shape; some can change, and what's so shameful about them?" Aquaria argued. "Anyways, it's a beautiful day, isn't it? Just look at the sky," she added hastily, hoping to change the subject, and stared unblinkingly up at the sky. In the distance, she heard a small humming sound.  
  
"What's that sound?" she asked Harry. Something was zooming in their directions. "What the hell--" The thing zoomed between them, knocking them both down. Whatever it had been, it had black school robes and a Firebolt like Harry's...  
  
"Malfoy! You fucker, what the hell is your problem?" Harry yelled.  
  
"Temper, temper, Potter; do you think I meant to knock you down? Well, maybe not Aquaria here..." he answered smugly. Harry glowered at him. Draco turned to Aquaria, and offered his hand to help her up. She took it and muttered a thank you as he pulled her up without making eye contact, and dusted herself off.  
  
"So what were you two doing out here all by yourselves?" Draco asked slyly.  
  
"Flying; what do you think?" Aquaria answered. The second the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.  
  
"Hm, yes, well...not really proper for me to say, now, is it?" Draco smirked triumphantly as Aquaria's face turned red. "If that's the case, I'll teach you how to really fly anytime you want, MacNamara." This made Aquaria a little angry, but was her heart pounding so fast because she was a little mad? Besides, the last comment Draco said was sort of funny; she knew she'd have laughed had it came from Harry, and decided not to take it personally. Aquaria returned his smug smile.  
  
"Sure Draco; let me know anytime you want to go swimming, too," she replied sarcastically.  
  
"Don't worry, I will," Draco said defiantly. Inside he was laughing, something he rarely did when it wasn't about someone else's misfortune. Everything was quiet a minute.  
  
"C'mon, Aqua, let's go in," suggested Harry, glaring still at Draco.  
  
"Okay, I've to put my shoes and socks back on, but I'll catch up, you go ahead," she said. Harry nodded and started on the way back to the school. Aquaria gave Draco a small smile, then sat down to put on her socks and shoes.  
  
"So, um, Aquaria...need a ride back to school?" Draco asked after a minute, trying to sound casual. He wanted to talk to her kind of, but he wasn't sure what to say, and it wasn't as easy without Potter around to get annoyed. Aquaria glanced up at him.  
  
"Er, no. I'm afraid of heights, 'member? And I won't ride with Harry, why would I ride with--" Aquaria clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. That was so rude, she couldn't believe she had almost said that. Draco's cheeks tinged pink.  
  
"No that's all right; I'm not offended. We both know I've heard worse," he muttered, not meeting her eyes. "And said worse," Aquaria couldn't help but think.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."  
  
"I said it was all right, didn't I?" The words came out colder than Draco meant for them too, but he figured he couldn't take it back, because that would mean apologizing, and he couldn't apologize if he really was sorry, especially to a Gryffindor. Now it was a very awkward atmosphere. After an uncomfortable short silence, he said, "Goodbye then," and got on his broom. Giving her a last icy glare and not waiting for her goodbye, he sped off the way Harry went. Aquaria sighed. How could she have said such a thing? "Nobody deserves being told they're not good enough for you, that's just ignorant and conceited," she scolded herself harshly. She wandered around aimlessly a while, and wound up at the lake. Aquaria glanced around. No one was near, and the sun was setting...no. Aquaria resisted the urge to return to the water and turned to go inside.  
  
"Aquaria, where were you?" asked Hermione, laughing a bit. She was sitting with Harry, Ron, Seamus Finnigan, Ron's sister Ginny, and Dean Thomas. Aquaria had just came into the common room, her cheeks red from running all the way.  
  
"Out and about," she said, trying to sound mysterious, but Harry snorted. "Well, Harry and I were studying a while, but it got boring, so we went flying," she explained sheepishly. Everyone rolled their eyes.  
  
"Flying; sure, that's what we all call it," Seamus teased under his breath. Aquaria scrunched her nose.  
  
"Why does everyone think that when we say we've been flying? First Draco, now Seamus..." said Aquaria, ticking off the people on her fingers.  
  
"Who's Draco?" asked Seamus. Aquaria raised her brow.  
  
"Malfoy...?" Everyone snickered.  
  
"Oh, him. Forgot his first name," laughed Seamus.  
  
"Why were you, and Harry of all people, hanging around with that prat?" Dean asked.  
  
"He...he came outside to the Quidditch field where we were, that's all," Aquaria said quickly, wishing to move on to a new subject.  
  
"Aquaria sure can tell Malfoy where to stick it, though; I'll tell you what," chuckled Harry. "She isn't the sweet innocent little angel we thought she was. Aquaria glanced over at him and he winked.  
  
"Just standing up for truth and justice," she joked.  
  
"Mmm, I'm hungry! What about the rest of you?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes!" The vote was unanimous as the group went down to the great hall for dinner.  
  
~*~  
  
The dorm room was still empty; everyone was down in the hall for dinner. Draco was glad because he had something he needed to find out. Privately. He rummaged through his trunk.  
  
"Aha!" He went sat on his bed, looking through the scrap book his mother had made for him since his birth that he had brought with him from home, full of wizarding pictures and such. Narcissa loved her son very much. Draco knew there were many times she had taken his beatings and stood up for him against Lucius, especially after Draco's fifth year, when Draco had begun rebelling. She was really the only person he cared about. If Potter had only known how much Draco's mother was like his own, he wouldn't have said what he did in fourth year. Draco still remembered those words, and they still cut like a knife. He shook the memory from his head and opened the scrap book, starting at the first page. It had been a long time since he had thoroughly looked through the whole thing. There were a few baby pictures. Then a page of pictures with his parents when he was four years old. There he was standing with his mother and father. Draco was wearing his that ever-present smirk, even at that young age, giving one lazy wave. His mother was smiling, and his father, totally expressionless. There was a separate shots of each of them with Draco. He had his arms wrapped around his mother's legs, and they were both laughing. Narcissa picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek. Then they both looked out at him and waved. Draco smiled weakly back at the picture. He remembered that day well. The picture of his father and him...the four year old Draco was now stone- still, and he was trying to maintain a stern look like Lucius was wearing. Every time Draco would fidget in the picture, Lucius would give him a disapproving look. Draco looked away. He remembered how much he had always craved his father's approval. He also remembered what had happened later, all too well. When they'd finally finished taking pictures, Draco had asked, "Daddy may we please go to Diagon Alley to see the racing brooms? Please?" Lucius's eyes flashed angrily as they turned on him. He slapped Draco so hard he landed flat on the ground.  
  
"Draco!" his mother had cried out, and rushed towards him, but Lucius held out an arm to prevent her from helping him.  
  
"Don't call me daddy. And you had better not start crying if you know what's good for you." Then Lucius had went into the house. Narcissa knelt down beside Draco and embraced him.  
  
"It's all right love," she murmered, stroking his hair. "You can cry." But Draco had refused to. He sighed now. His father only wanted someone to carry on the family name, that was all. He turned to the next page. There he was five years old, and on his first broom. It was a Twigger 90. Draco remembered how he loved flying from that minute on. He still had that Twigger; it was tiny compared to his Firebolt. He smiled. Then there was a picture of him, one he had never really noticed before. He was still five years old, and a little girl, about the same age it looked, was standing beside him. The five-year-old Draco kept glancing at the girl slyly, and she returned his stare, although hers was dubious, not sly. Suddenly, the Draco in the picture began tugging the girl's short, curly hair and she looked like she was screaming bloody murder as he laughed maliciously. "Even in those days I was quite the charmer," Draco thought arrogantly. Something around the girl's neck caught his eye and he peered closer at the photograph. The little girl noticed, pushed five-year-old Draco away, and proudly held up the necklace. It was a silver locket with an emerald stone in the middle.  
  
"Aquaria MacNamara," Draco breathed. The two children began arguing again, and Draco looked to the picture above. It was of his mother, holding him as a baby, and of another woman, holding her baby too. The two women looked like very close friends; smiling, laughing and chatting. The other baby, a girl, it appeared from the pink blanket; was smiling and blinking her big green eyes. It was Aquaria again. Draco looked closer at her mother. She was very beautiful indeed. At first glance, he thought that Aquaria and her mother looked nothing alike. Aquaria's mother had a natural tan, long shiny golden hair that was wavy, and round baby-blue eyes. But when he looked closer, Draco could see Aquaria had inherited her mother's smile and charisma. He could even see the same smile in the eyes.  
  
"I remember now. We used to be playmates...'til we were six...then something happened....what was it?" Draco muttered. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten how he knew Aquaria though; even though it had been eleven years since he'd seen her. "We used to hate each other; always fighting, and I was always teasing her," he said, a guilty grin coming to his face. "Well, we haven't grown up from that, I see...well, maybe she has grown up. Quite noticeably, actually, since I last saw her." Not so bad looking now, is she? A little voice in the back of his mind said gleefully.  
  
"No, not at--Eurgh! Bloody sick; she's a Gryffindor!" Malfoy spat out, not realizing he was answering the voice out loud. In fact, he had not noticed he had been talking to himself until now. "I can do a pretty good impression of a dumbass like Weasley sometimes." Draco threw the scrap book in his trunk, and ran down to dinner.  
  
~*~  
  
Down in the Great Hall, Aquaria was finishing her sausage and mash when she spotted Draco at the Slytherin table, staring at her. She waved to him, wondering why he always watched her. His eyes never showed any emotion, she'd known that a long time. Aquaria blinked; he now had a mischievous grin on his face and she knew he was planning something. About a minute later, Aquaria saw something white and gooey sailing towards her from the Slytherins' direction. She held up an empty bowl and it ricocheted off the bowl into the side of Parvati Patil's face. Parvati gave a little shriek that had actually not called the attention of any teachers. Aquaria glance back at Draco and saw him grinning impishly and waving.  
  
"OH my God, who threw that?" she said angrily, her eyes narrowed. Parvati glared at Aquaria; Aquaria had been trying hard to repress her giggles. Parvati picked up her spoon, and flung some peas at her and then Aquaria, not wasting her time with silverware, grabbed a handful of creamed corn and shot it at Parvati, but Parvati ducked and it hit Lavendar. Seamus, who was sitting across from Lavendar, laughed, and Lavendar splashed the pumpkin juice in her goblet in this face. Dean Thomas grinned.  
  
"Food fight!!!" he yelled, and in that second, every student in the Great Hall was flinging food and screaming and laughing. The houses were mixing together. They were getting along as they hadn't in years and teaming up, Slytherin and Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. No one was taking any of the food being thrown personally, and no one was staying in the same seat. Aquaria soon found herself under the Ravenclaw table, armed with half a pumpkin pie.  
  
"Mind sharing that?" came a voice over her shoulder. Aquaria turned. It was Draco. Now to get back at the one who had started it all.  
  
"Not at all," she replied, scooped up the filling, and smeared it on his face. Draco wiped some off, ate it and grinned.  
  
"Not bad; want to try some?" he asked innocently, holding it out to her.  
  
"Okay--Umph!" He had shoved some quickly into her mouth as she opened it, although some didn't make it and was around her lips. Aquaria swallowed quickly.  
  
"Lovely. Any tea to go with that?" she smirked.  
  
"Probably on the floor here somewhere." They both laughed.  
  
"You were the one who flung the potatoes at me, weren't you?" Aquaria asked, giggling.  
  
"Yep. I guess things haven't changed since we were kids," he snickered.  
  
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Professor McGonagall had come running into the hall, her hat askew. Everyone froze, including the other teachers, who had been trying to settle things down. Well, except for Professor Dumbledore, who had quickly put down the chunk of Yorkshire pudding he had been about to throw. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes.  
  
"Who started this?" the tone to Professor McGonagall's voice was dangerous.  
  
"It was Aquaria MacNamara," Parvati Patil answered shrilly. "She flung the potatoes at me."  
  
"No, no, no! Draco Malfoy was the one who threw them, you stupid prat!" called Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw seventh year.  
  
"My Draco isn't that immature, of course it was MacNamara!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. Aquaria and Pansy were complete opposites. They didn't actually hate each other; although there was the usual dislike between Gryffindors and Slytherins. They looked totally opposite, and people told Aquaria that their personalities were like white and black as well.  
  
"What, are you blind? I saw Malfoy fling the potatoes from all the way over here! If you couldn't seem him do it and you were sitting right beside him, you need your eyes checked!" yelled Kevin Whitby, a Hufflepuff fourth year. The Great Hall erupted now into arguments of who started it.  
  
"Listen, everyone's fighting about us," giggled Aquaria.  
  
"I know. I can't believe Parvati is on my side though; she's one of your kind," Draco sniggered. Aquaria pouted and scrunched her nose.  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?" she asked pointedly.  
  
"She's a Gryffindor, I'm a Slytherin," he said, sounding like it was the most obvious reason in the world.  
  
"That didn't stop you from messing around with her. Several times, I've heard."  
  
"I was bored and in a fight with Pansy," Draco shrugged.  
  
"So you fooled with the next cheap floozy because your girlfriend was mad?" Aquaria asked disbelievingly.  
  
"What, do you expect me to stay loyal or something when I can have any girl I want?" Draco laughed heartlessly as Aquaria's jaw dropped.  
  
"Draco, that's horrible! I can't believe this, but I don't think I've heard anything worse come from your mouth!"  
  
"Hm, looks like I'm going to have to work harder."  
  
"I'm not joking!"  
  
"Me either."  
  
"Your mother didn't raise you like this, Draco; I know she didn't."  
  
"Don't bring my mum into this!"  
  
"SILENCE!" McGonagall yelled. "I notice that the two that have been the topic of conversation are also the only two missing. Where are they?" Aquaria sighed and glared at Draco.  
  
"I'm atleast going to take my share of the punishment for this, even though I didn't do anything!" she hissed at him. Draco shrugged.  
  
"Be my guest," he snorted.  
  
"Ooh! You are egregious!" she muttered, and crawled out from under the table.  
  
"Aquaria, who is responsible for this mess?" Professor McGonagall hard eagle stare, which wouldn't let her look away, dared her to lie.  
  
"It was me," Aquaria said quietly, and was finally able to look away. Draco, still under the table, could see Aquaria twisting the ring on her thumb nervously, and felt...was it...could it actually be guilt? Draco Malfoy could actually feel guilt? No, guilt was not an emotion Malfoys felt. Ever. Well, what ever it was, he knew she shouldn't have to take the blame all by herself, especially since she really, in the honest truth, had done nothing.  
  
"Why the bloody hell I'm doing this, I don't know," Draco muttered as he pulled himself out from under the table and stood beside her.  
  
"It was my fault," came a defiant voice from beside Aquaria. She turned her head and saw Draco giving her a ghost of a smile.  
  
"Couldn't let you take my credit," he whispered smugly. Aquaria almost wanted to hug him and cry. Draco Malfoy wasn't the biggest moronic asshole she'd ever met in her life after all. At the head table, Professor Dumbledore rose, his eyes shining brightly.  
  
"Professor McGonagall, would you be obliged to escort both Miss MacNamara and Mr. Malfoy to my office?" he asked, his voice grave. Draco and Aquaria darted glances at each other and looked away, and they followed about ten feet behind Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall. Aquaria couldn't believe it; they'd just gotten a confession out of Draco, and still she was in trouble. How was this fair?  
  
Harry sulked. Why did Malfoy stand up for Aquaria? That wasn't something he knew Malfoy wouldn't have even done for a fellow Slytherin. What if Malfoy liked Aquaria? "Malfoy will be sure to get her, because he always gets everything he wants, and he'll change her into someone I'll hate, because he probably knows it'll near kill me," Harry thought angrily.  
  
"You know, Dumbledore was throwing food, too," Draco mumbled as they walked down the hall.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Aquaria hissed.  
  
"Dumbledore. He was throwing food too. I saw him at the high table with some Hufflepuffs throwing biscuits at Snape," Draco whispered stubbornly. Aquaria rolled her eyes.  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy." Draco was quiet a minute before he realized what she'd said. He stopped.  
  
"Hey, you just called me 'Malfoy'," he said, feeling somewhat irritated. He had no idea why, though. Before, he hated hearing her call him by his first name, but it was now utterly annoying to hear her say his last name instead.  
  
"Didn't you want me to?" Aquaria replied stiffly, and Draco gave up. Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a stone gargoyle.  
  
"Draco Dormiens," she commanded and the gargoyle jumped aside. The two followed her up a spiral staircase that moved like a Muggle escalator to an office. Large and circular, Aquaria thought it must have been the most beautiful office she'd ever seen. There were silver contraptions on various spindle-legged tables, buzzing and giving off small puffs of smoke. There were portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses covering nearly every inch of the walls. And on a golden perch near the window was a beautiful crimson phoenix.  
  
"Stay here. Don't touch a thing," Professor McGonagall ordered crisply. She left Aquaria and Draco by themselves. Aquaria touched her cheek, not able to take her eyes off the phoenix.  
  
"How lovely," she half-whispered.  
  
"It's just a phoenix," Draco contemplated boredly.  
  
"Shut up you numskull," Aquaria answered absentmindedly. Draco narrowed his brows at her back. Aquaria wasn't even putting any effort into insulting him now because of a dumb bird.  
  
"His name is Fawkes." Professor McGonagall had returned with Professor Dumbledore. He sat behind his large, claw-footed desk and gestured to the chairs in front of it. "Sit, please Miss MacNamara, Mr. Malfoy. And you too, Minerva."  
  
"These two are the ones who started the food fight in the Great Hall, as you know, Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said bluntly. "What shall their detention be?" Aquaria and Draco opened their mouths protestingly, but Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"Besides a spectacular mess in the Great Hall, do you know what exactly Aquaria and Draco have caused, my dear Professor?" he asked seriously, although his mustache quivered slightly. "Did you notice, among the flying bits of rump roast and treacle tart, that the houses were mixing, and having fun together? That hasn't happened in nearly a hundred years. In a single lump of mashed potatoes, grudges dissolved, walls were broken down and hatred was put to rest, just so they could laugh and throw food. I must say, Minerva, I'm wavering greatly between punishing these two or not." Dumbledore sat back in his chair. "Despite this great feat, I do not think it would be at all fair to the house-elves to clean up this immense melange, so if you will, Mr. Malfoy, Miss MacNamara, I would greatly appreciate it if you would clean the Great Hall."  
  
"But Prof--" Draco and Aquaria started in unison, but were cut off by Dumbledore as he raised his hand.  
  
"You may, however, use your wands," he smiled.  
  
"Thank you sir," they murmered, knowing their punishment could be worse. Draco glanced over at Aquaria, hoping to make eye contact with her, but still she refused to look at him as Professor McGonagall took them to start their task. 


	6. Sleepless Nights

Chapter 6: Sleepless Nights

"This is so unfair," complained Draco for the hundredth time as he conjured dusters and rags to clean the walls. "This is what we have house-elves for."

"Malfoy shut up!" Aquaria yelled, making him jump. She hadn't spoken the whole time they'd been there, which was rounding off to about five hours; fortunately, they were almost done. She bewitched a group of mops to clean the floor and more rags; these rags to dry the floor. Although she didn't know it, she was aggravating Draco. No matter what he had done, she just ignored him, and the absence of her attention, positive or (as it mostly was) negative, was driving him crazy.

"Don't tell me to shut up!" he said, coming over and pushing her a little. He remembered when they were little, that always made her respond. I was challenging her, and Aquaria rarely back down from a challenge. She pushed him back, and after pushing each other around for a while, she got fed up and smacked him across the face. That flared Draco's temper and he pinned her against the wall, his nerves fraying quickly with her. Aquaria's heart beat faster and her blood was boiling with anger. The dangerous look on Draco's face started to scare her and made her pulse speed and temperature rise more. "Oh my God, he's really mad...He has me in the perfect position, no one's around...he could beat me Stun me rape me curse me...kill me," she thought, terrified. Aquaria remembered what Draco's father had been like, and right now Draco looked identical to him. She turned her head away.

"Look at me Aquaria," he ordered.

"I don't want to turn to stone," she answered haughtily.

"Funny. Scared to look at me, then?" She refused to respond at all. Draco, able to hold both of her hands above her with one of his, brought one hand to her chin and turned to face him, and Aquaria lowered her eyes.

"Look at me," he said, his voice softer this time. "I'm not going to hit you; I'm not a monster...I'm not my father." Aquaria looked up into his eyes finally, trying not to show her surprise of him reading her mind.

"I didn't say you were your father. I hope you truly aren't," she replied shakily. He dropped her hands.

"I'm not. I'm Draco Malfoy," he said, stepping back and holding out his hand.

"Aquaria MacNamara." She grinned and shook his hand. "Shall we finish cleaning the hall then?"

"Yes, but it is midnight, and I'd like to sleep soon, so let's hurry," he said tiredly. Aquaria got to work quickly, charming some brooms to sweep up anything else on the floor. Draco sighed inaudibly. This girl had sucked all the energy out of him, but how could she when he'd pinned her to the wall? She hadn't struggled at all against him. Aquaria had never done that when they were little. And why was her flesh so cold. He knew his own skin was cold, but hers was much colder. "Well, I know some good ways to warm her up," Draco snickered inwardly. Soon they were finish. Draco walked part way with Aquaria to a portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.

"You know, you really shouldn't have had to help me," Draco said, sounding like he had been thinking about it. "I started the food fight, and you didn't really provoke me." Aquaria smile weakly.

"I know...but I felt like maybe you needed help," she answered. "In fact, I think you still do, although not with cleaning." Draco made a face and came a little closer.

"I don't. Maybe you do though," he smirked. He picked a piece of fluff out of her hair and Aquaria blushed.

"See you in Potions, then," she said quietly, smiling as she walked around the corner. Aquaria waited until she heard his footsteps die away as he left in the other direction, and then hurried back to the portrait of the Fat Lady, who winked at her as she came.

"A Gryffindor seeing a Slytherin? And a Malfoy, no less," she teased, a secretive smile on her face.

"Oh please! Draco Malfoy? No thanks! He's got enough girls to break; I don't need that," Aquaria laughed.

"You might be surprised," said the Fat Lady wisely.

"Draco Guardarsi." Aquaria's face turned red as she said the password that included Draco's name, and the Fat Lady smiled knowingly as she swung open. As Aquaria tiptoed through the common room, someone spoke up and startled her.

"Who's there?" he called out in a hoarse voice.

"It's only me, Aquaria," she answered. Harry sat up on the couch and yawned.

"Er...hi."

"Hey. Were you waiting up for me?" she asked, sounding pleased and trying not to smile. Harry smiled sheepishly.

"Well, you just spent the last five hours with Malfoy," Harry said in disgust. "I had to see that you were in one piece, or I'd beat living daylights out of him. And you're in perfect condition so I guess I don't have to worry...so, er..." Harry blushed, and Aquaria smiled shyly and took his hand, squeezing before letting it go.

"That's very sweet, Harry. But I'm a MacNamara, and we can handle anything," she told him proudly.

"But Malfoys are...are..." Harry struggled for the right word to describe the Malfoys.

"Are people I've learnt to deal with since I was born," Aquaria filled in gently. Harry stared at her, somewhat wonderingly, and leaned forward and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"G'night, Aqua," he said, a hint of a grin on his face. He left for the boys' dorms. Aquaria stood there a moment, her hand on her cheek, sort of surprised. She shook herself and went up to bed, but even at the late hours, it was a while before she fell asleep.

Draco entered his dorm, smirking proudly to himself. He didn't even know what the hell he was smirking about, but he couldn't stop. Just then, another boy, Blaise Zabini, came in the dorm after him.

"Hey, Blaise said boredly.

"Mmm," Draco returned. Blaise was the only person he could actually have an intelligent conversation with--but there was something sneaky about Blaise that even a fellow Slytherin couldn't trust. He was a good looking guy-- sandy hair and sky blue eyes. He and Draco had an unspoken, somewhat unfriendly, competitiveness between them. Blaise wasn't the idiot that Crabbe and Goyle were, so you could actually have an intellectual conversation with him, but there was a sly presence about him that Draco felt, so he never let Blaise in on much.

"Tell that Gryffindor off?" Blaise smirked.

"Yeah," Draco muttered.

"She's actually pretty damn fine for a Gryff; I would have done a little more than clean a hall with her," Blaise said.

"Let me show you something," Draco said suddenly. He went into his room, fished out his scrapbook, and looked for the pictures of him and Aquaria. Maybe if Blaise would see that their families seemed close, he'd back off. Draco couldn't explain it, maybe it was the competitiveness, or maybe it was out of respect to his mother, because Aquaria was Narcissa's best friend's daughter, he was doing this. He went back into the dorm common room and showed the picture of him and Aquaria, five years old, to Blaise. Blaise's brow rose slightly.

"Cute kid even back then. Make nice trophy, wouldn't she?" Blaise grinned mischievously.

"She's not exactly made of gold though; is she?" Draco replied coldly, feeling insulted. At the point where most boys would have backed off, Blaise wasn't intimidated at all. Finally the grin faded off Blaise's face, replaced by a cool expressionless look.

"No, I suppose not," he said loftily.

"Good. Glad we agree," Draco said stiffly and shortly. He turned and got undressed and into bed, but he was another one who spent a sleepless night.


	7. The Letter

Chapter 7: The Letter

Aquaria yawned and sat up in bed as her kitten Tigress climbed up on her bed. Tigress was a black cat with copper streaks across her fur and blue eyes. She purred as she rubbed against Aquaria's arm.

"Good morning, Tigress," Aquaria murmured, scratching Tigress between the ears. Aquaria got out of bed and hopped in the shower, making the water as hot as she could without it burning her. She finished getting ready as the other girls in her dorm started waking up. Aquaria sat down on her bed, looking in a photo album at a picture of her mother and father holding her as a baby thoughtfully. She wished her mother was still with her and her father; the only things Aquaria could really remember about her mother was that she was unnaturally beautiful, she loved to sing and sang wonderfully, and she'd made Aquaria's father immensely happy, and much more laid back. Ulric MacNamara had become very over-protective of his daughter since his wife had been gone. He wouldn't let her go out alone and didn't want her in the water, especially near the ocean. Aquaria could understand why; it was a secret she'd kept for years. But that had still not prevented her from sneaking out to wherever she could go swimming. Aquaria sighed as she gazed at her mother, wishing more than ever her mother was there for her. Noticing the time, she snapped the book shut, shoved it under her pillow and left to start the school day.

"Double Potions first," groaned Ron as they left the Great Hall from breakfast. "Cheery way to start the day."

"Oh, come off it Ron; we all know Snape is your favorite teacher," snickered Aquaria. "Or was that you, Harry?" Harry rolled his eyes playfully.

"Aqua, that's sick; not funny," he said shaking his head at her as they hurried off to the dungeons. They sat down and waited quietly for class to begin--the Gryffindors didn't want to give Professor Snape a reason to deduct points. He swept into the classroom quickly and stood at the head of the class, his cold eyes glaring around at the class.

"Today we are starting minor truth potion. These potions are not nearly as strong as veritaserum, but do come in handy and are quicker to be made. I will be setting you up in pairs," he informed them. Snape picked up the class roster and began calling out pairs.

"Avery, Patil. Nott, Finnigan. Parkinson, Weasley. MacNamara, Mal-" Snape glanced back and forth between Draco and Aquaria, and, probably thinking of the food fight two days ago, changed his mind. "No. MacNamara, Zabini. Malfoy, Potter…" Draco zoned out, not even realizing he had been paired with Harry. He was too busy glowering at Blaise, who looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

Aquaria shyly glanced over at Blaise, who gave her an approving smile, and she returned it. He was kind of cute, for a Slytherin. She laughed inwardly; she was being prejudice about his house the same way Draco was about hers. "_And who am I kidding, Blaise is hot_," Aquaria thought appreciatively.

Draco made sure he and Harry sat behind Aquaria and Blaise.

"Hi," Aquaria said, holding out her hand to shake Blaise's. "Aquaria MacNamara." Blaise took her hand, but instead of shaking it he kissed it, never taking his eyes off hers. Draco felt enraged inwardly, and was surprised to see Potter suddenly chopping the murtlap roots rather roughly. "_So Saint Potter fancies Aquaria as well as Zabini, well, isn't she little miss popular_," Draco thought, feeling irritated. What was so great about _her_, anyway?

"I'm Blaise Zabini," Blaise answered. Aquaria felt a little weird under his stare, and pulled her hand back, although she kept her smile fixed the same.

"Let's get started then!" she said brightly. Aquaria was a little thrown off by his…outgoingness. Draco smirked at this. Blaise was obviously going to have to work a little harder and longer than that, and maybe that would give him time to make up something nasty about Blaise to tell Aquaria. Most likely he probably wouldn't have to make it up.

"So…I don't think I've seen you in this class since first year with the Gryffindors," Blaise mentioned.

"That's cos I switched in sixth year from Ravenclaw to Gryffindor," she answered. Draco's ears perked up; he'd just realized the same thing.

"Why were you switched?" Blaise asked curiously, but at the same time, Aquaria asked, "Could you pass the Jobbernoll feathers?" They both stared at each other a second, both expressionless. Draco was getting mad and looked over at Harry briefly. Well, Draco wasn't going to be the only angry guy around here…

"Hey Potter, looks like Blaise is going to steal your little girlfriend's heart away," Draco said quietly, so only Harry could hear. Harry's temper was rising already, because he had been doing most of the work while Draco had been absorbed in Aquaria and Blaise's conversation, but he controlled it as he measured a beaker of Delilah essence.

"Gee, I dunno Malfoy. You seem to be getting pretty jealous of Blaise over there, though; scared I might become competition as well?" he replied coolly. Draco stiffened.

"What are you implying, Potter?" Draco asked, his tone harsh.

"Nothing at all…except you appear to have the hots for Aquaria. Better tell Parkinson over there it's over," Harry said in a tone similar to one he might use if mentioning the weather, pleased with how well he was handling the situation.

Draco's temper flared. Harry Potter was making wise cracks to him.. And he was acting like a Stunned beast, not even retorting the weakest comebacks. Of course, this rarely happened, Potter getting defensive and thinking up comebacks; he mainly just ignored Draco. So of course Draco would be a bit surprised.

"Just proves that a muggle-loving loser such as yourself can't keep a girl who's in their own house--and you lost her to a Slytherin, no less. Tsk, tsk, tsk," Draco drawled. Just then Aquaria giggled at something Blaise said. Harry smirked.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't appear to be you over there flirting with Aqua either. Besides, Aquaria is what you would call a 'muggle lover', so what would she want with a Death Eater like you?" Draco was outraged now. He was not, nor ever would be a Death Eater, and Potter had gone to far. He could see out of the corner of his eye Blaise and Aquaria standing very close to each other and flirting, both of them now.

"You may clean up now," Snape told the class lazily. Draco was seething still until the bell rang, and he and Harry took so long cleaning up that only Hermione Granger was still there as they left. As soon as they were out the door, Draco slammed Harry up against a wall outside the classroom, in an empty room's doorway.

"_I_ am _not _a Death Eater, Potter. I've a pure arm to prove it, any time, and that's the way it will stay. As for Aquaria," he paused and glanced around to see if any one was listening in, "As for her, I know more about her then you could even think." Harry simply glared woodenly back at Draco. "So if you think you're going to tell me to stay away from your little girlfriend, you're sadly mistaken," Draco sneered. Harry's smirk never faltered.

"If I had to tell you that, she wouldn't be my girl," he answered. He pushed Draco off of him and started walking away, then paused and turned around. "Oh yeah, and Malfoy? Stay away from my girl." Harry smirked once more and left Draco there, confused. Was she or wasn't she?

"Blaise, you're a stitch," Aquaria laughed as the walked into the Great Hall together. He smiled to himself. It was now Wednesday and he thought at first it was going to be rough getting Aquaria to like him, but after the first ten minutes of potions together on Monday, she loosened up and was a lot friendlier. He casually draped his arm around her shoulder.

"You're not so bad yourself," he murmured in her ear. Aquaria held back the nervous shiver she got when she felt his breath on her neck. She shook her hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"Er…I better go to the Gryffindor table," she hinted, sliding out from under his arm and smiling coyly. Aquaria left him there, and hurried to get the empty seat beside Hermione, who smiled at her knowingly as Blaise went and sat down at the Slytherin table.

"Someone has a crush on Aquaria," she said in a sing-song voice under her breath.

"Oh, please! Slytherin, Gryffindor? I don't think that could work out," Aquaria snickered in response. Hermione gave her a weird look.

"I thought _you_ were all about interschool unity," she said skeptically.

"_I_ am. It's the Slytherins who have the problem with me," Aquaria answered truthfully.

"Well, I know at least one Slytherin besides Blaise who doesn't; Draco Malfoy. You're becoming like a Slytherin magnet!" Hermione giggled. Aquaria rolled her eyes.

"You're such a geek, 'Mione. Plus, you're crazy."

"Okay, but listen to this, anyway. On my way out of Potions on Monday, I dropped my quills and a whole bunch of parchment, and so I stopped to pick them up. Well I heard voices, but I was the last one out of potions, so I didn't know who it could be. I went a little closer, and it was Harry and Malfoy. Well, I hid myself behind the corner, incase Harry were to need help--"

"Hermione! You're Head Girl! _You _should know better. I thought you were on the side of unification, too?"

"Well…they hate each other…and I'm Harry's friend, d'you think I could just stand by and watch them hex the dickens out of each other anyways? I would…just end it as quickly as possible," Hermione finished, smiling innocently at Aquaria, who rolled her eyes again in return.

"By what means, petrifying Draco?" she said pointedly. Hermione sighed.

"You know, you petrify someone once, and you're marked for life," she answered dramatically. "Anyways, can I just finish my story?" Aquaria rolled her eyes.

"Please, continue," she said, although she didn't think that Hermione may have picked up on Aquaria's teasing sarcasm. Or she was at least ignoring it.

"Well, there I was, hiding behind the corner, and Malfoy and Harry were arguing. It was about Malfoy being a Death Eater, actually, and believe it or not, he said he wasn't." Aquaria was slightly surprised but very pleased to hear it. "Then he said he knew more about you than Harry did, and Harry couldn't tell him to stay away from you. And then _Harry_ said that if he had to tell Draco that, then you wouldn't be his girl, and then I thought he was going to leave, but then he said, 'Oh yeah, and Malfoy? Stay away from my girl.'" Hermione sat back in her chair, crossing her arms, and looking smug. Aquaria stared at her blankly, brows raised, not sure of what to say. Half of the conversation she was still taking in. Then she laughed.

"Oh Hermione! That's rich, really," she chuckled.

"Aqua, I wasn't joking. I think they both like you, no, I'm sure. I mean, there's Malfoy, telling Harry off about you, and then asking if you two were together or not, and then there's Harry, calling you his girl…I mean, please, how obvious does it have to be for you? C'mon!" Hermione huffed exasperatedly. Just then, Harry and Ron came in, talking in low voices to each other. They came over and sat across from the girls.

"Quidditch practice tonight, Ron. Don't forget," Harry said. Ron gave Hermione a kiss across the table.

"Oh yeah," he answered absentmindedly, giving Hermione a grin. Hermione returned it. Harry looked at Aquaria and rolled his eyes playfully.

"Really, try to remember this time though, Ron," Harry added, but Ron and Hermione were already arguing happily over some homework that Ron wanted to copy from Hermione. Harry was the captain of the Quidditch team since Angelina Johnson had graduated and he was even more manic about Quidditch than both Angelina and Oliver Wood (the captain before Angelina) put together. Aquaria smiled, remembering Oliver. Their fathers had worked together, so Aquaria had known Oliver before she'd started school, although they'd never really gotten along. In fact, it wasn't until last summer they'd met up in a muggle dance club did they finally warm up to each other. By the end of the night (most of which they'd spent dancing exclusively with each other), they'd wound up snogging and messing around in an upstairs room of the club, and Aquaria had actually spent that night at Oliver's. Soon after, Oliver was going to be training with his Quidditch team, and he said that he wouldn't get to see her often, but would try to on weekends. After a few brief letters, Oliver stopped writing back to Aquaria, and they'd lost contact for nearly a month by the time Aquaria had gone back to school.

Aquaria shook her head and hopped up from the table. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"I'll see you all later," she said casually to them, hurrying off and not looking directly at any of them. Harry watched her leave.

"Well, she's been acting rather funny this week hasn't she?" Harry muttered under his breath. Hermione smiled knowingly.

"Don't worry, Harry; she doesn't like Blaise," she assured him. His face turned red.

"I-I don't like…" Harry stammered. Hermione and Ron both gave Harry pointed looks. Harry turned his attention to his bubble and squeak. "So let's not point any fingers then."

Draco was just walking into the Great Hall when somebody collided into him, sending them both to the ground.

"Hey, watch it--" he started to snap until he realized it was Aquaria. "Oh, hi..." he began again, but then noticed the large tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Draco tore his eyes away from hers not wanting to have to see her cry. Crying was a sign of complete and utter weakness to him, and Draco would rather not see her weak. Aquaria ran off when she realized Draco wasn't going to make an attempt to comfort her. But Draco didn't know how to comfort someone and would feel awkward and stupid trying to do so. He stood there, not quite sure what to do, then headed toward the owlery.

Aquaria lay on her bed, crying softly. No one was here because it was lunch time, and she was glad of it. It wasn't fair, none of it was. Oliver Wood was the biggest jerk she'd ever met, and he'd totally used her. So why couldn't she get over him? Just the talk of Quidditch reminded Aquaria of Oliver, and she hated to admit it but she missed him horribly. And then Draco turned away from her when she cried. Aquaria had thought after Saturday night maybe Draco wouldn't be so cold, but again, she was wrong.

"It seems every time he does something good, he has to do something negative to equal it out," she thought sulkily. Aquaria lay silent a second, and then sat up. An owl was tapping at her window. Aquaria got up and unlatched the window, and the owl, a tan Eagle Owl dropped a letter in her hand. It sat on the ledge, preening its feathers, as she read the note.

Aquaria:

Will you meet me down at the lake at midnight tonight? We'll talk. Send a reply if you'll come.

Aquaria stared at the note in bewilderment. It wasn't signed. Who in the world was this from? It _was _a boy's hand writing, she was sure of it, but it wasn't Harry's or Ron's…it was similar to Blaise's, but there was something different about it, still. Aquaria had no idea of who would want to meet her so late, and it intrigued her. She grabbed a quill and quickly scribbled an answer.

I'll be there. Who is this?

She gave the parchment back to the owl, which flew off. Aquaria waited five minutes, then another five minutes, until it became twenty. The owl finally returned, dropped the same parchment and left.

You'll find out. See you at 12.

Aquaria sighed, frustrated. There was still half the school day left, and then half the night to wait through. This was so egregious…Aquaria sighed again, and begrudgingly grabbed her bag and left to go to her next class. What choice did she have but to wait? There was no way to contact that person because their owl had flown off before she could send a second reply. She bet a million gallons the owl had orders to return immediately after delivery, too. Aquaria trudged to Herbology sullenly, when she was suddenly grabbed by her wrist.

"Aquaria, c'mon, we'll be late!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled her along with him. The two ran off to Herbology laughing, and the letter was pushed from Aquaria's mind.


	8. Running Away

Chapter 8: Run Away

Aquaria sat along the banks of the lake, dipping her toes into the cool water. Glancing at the clock tower, she saw it was a quarter past twelve. She knew it wasn't that late, but still, this person asked _her_ here, she'd thought _they'd_ at least be on time. What if this was Oliver? She gave it some serious thought. It'd been a while since he'd written, so his handwriting could have changed slightly. She shook her head. Only a small part of her was hoping against hope that it would be from him, but she knew that was entirely impossible. Another thought came to mind…what if this was just a joke on her? Someone thinking it'd be funny to have her think someone could actually show some interest in her.

"Fuck this shit," she said harshly. And her dad wondered why she was such a loner. Aquaria knew she was overreacting, but she felt like nobody really cared. It always seemed like everyone important always left sooner or later. She peeled off her clothes, down to her bathing suit, which she had decided to wear this time to avoid last Friday's problem. Aquaria slid off the bank into the water.

"Oh my God!" she hissed. The water was freezing…If only she could transform right now; then she wouldn't be so cold. But what if whoever it was came down and saw her…like that? It wouldn't be good. Aquaria swam around for a while to warm herself up and wondered where (and who) this guy was. Her mind began to wander and she thought back to last Friday. It was crazy, amazing almost, how she and Draco had managed to not to even see each other until seventh year...or at least, since Draco had seen her. She'd always watched him from afar, but, although she hated to admit it, she was afraid to approach him for the longest time. It had been at least ten years since they'd been in contact…right after her mother had gone. Aquaria remembered Draco as the boy who was only slightly less scrawny than she, with white-blond hair and a mischievous smirk, the same he had now, although ten years later most girls found it very attractive rather than annoying.

"Swimming again, Ria?" a voice drawled. Aquaria turned. It was Draco, sitting on the bank and staring amusedly at her. Aquaria rolled her eyes, not trying at all to suppress her smile. Well, think of the devil. She should have known.

"Surprised it was me, aren't you?" Draco grinned. Aquaria's eyes widened in slight surprise. "What?" Draco asked self-consciously.

"You're smiling. I guess…I don't really remember seeing you smile often," Aquaria replied awkwardly.

"Oh," Draco answered after a pause. How were you supposed to answer something like that? Aquaria climbed out of the lake onto the bank to sit beside Draco. He noticed her bikini with a hint of a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"That's quite a patriotic ensemble you've got there," Draco teased her. Her bikini top was a triangle halter that tied both at the back and the neck, and the bottoms had side ties. The material was made to look like the British flag. "Almost makes me want to join the muggle military…if they weren't stupid muggles." Aquaria blushed, surprised that she was pleased by what he said, even though it was only a little bit.

"Draco, muggles aren't bad…well, okay, some are, but not all. They're like wizards, you have the good, and you have--" she stopped short and glanced at Draco, who was smirking at her.

"And you have the bad," he finished for her. "It's all right," he added. "I know you think I'm a Death Eater like my father."

"And you aren't…are you?" Aquaria asked gingerly, wincing a little as she hoped he wouldn't get mad. But she needed to know, she needed to be sure. "Please be honest. I don't want you to lie."

"No. I'm really not, honest. I know how I was the biggest git when I was a dumb kid--"

"Who said you aren't a dumb kid still?" Aquaria teased, and Draco gave her a pointed look.

"Anyway…I may hate muggles and mud--" Draco saw the look on her face and changed his mind of his vocabulary. "I mean, I may hate muggles and _muggleborns_ with a passion, but I've also grown up a little. I think it's stupid, running around risking my neck to kill them, but don't think I'm going to put _my _ass on the line just to save them when there's nothing in it for me." Aquaria's jaw dropped.

"Draco, that's horrible! And really…selfish," she said unsurely. Draco shrugged.

"I've one person I have to look out for in life; me. And that's not changing," he said bluntly, staring at the water. Aquaria was silent for a while, thinking hard.

"What if you fall in love?" Aquaria asked curiously. Draco snorted.

"Me? In love?" he scoffed. "Ridiculous." Aquaria was quiet again.

"But you say you hate muggles and muggleborns with a passion. Don't you think if you could hate with a passion you could, you know… love with a passion?" Draco laughed snidely.

"Yeah, how about no? Hating with a passion is nothing like loving with a passion."

"No, Draco, you're wrong…there's a very fine line between hate and love. If you can hate, some part of you _has _to love," Aquaria told him fervently, staring unblinkingly into his eyes. Draco raised his brows, unable to look away from her large eyes.

"Hmm," he said, not really meaning anything at all. He just felt as though he needed to say something after her little speech, as if to acknowledge that he _did_ listen…he just didn't think she was right. They both looked away. Finally a question came to Aquaria's mind.

"What did you want to talk about with me?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Why were you crying today?"

"Oh…Well, a few things…"

"You shouldn't cry, especially in public." Aquaria laughed at that.

"Why?" she asked warily.

"Because, it shows you're weak," Draco told her. She noticed the fierceness in his eyes burning and didn't take her eyes off him as he gazed across the lake broodingly.

"Not really. I think it's obviously powerful," Aquaria said.

"How?" Draco questioned skeptically.

"Well look. It made you worry about me enough to ask me to sneak out, risking losing your House points if you got caught, maybe even earning a detention if you did, too…And if you don't mind me saying so, it's not something that someone who can't love passionately would do," she answered smugly. Draco glared, finally looking back at her.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ mind you saying so. And I wasn't worried. I was just…curious as to _why_ you were crying is all," Draco mumbled defensively. Aquaria laughed, and he had to turn his head away so she couldn't see him smile. Draco jumped a bit as he felt something soft slide over his hand, and he looked down at it. Aquaria's hand was on his. The weirdest feeling was moving through his arm. Draco felt ridiculous admitting it, but as soon as Aquaria had touched his hand, it'd felt like it was being stung, almost…but in a good way, which was weird. He'd never thought of hand holding as a big thing, and he didn't understand why this time it should feel so different. Just as quickly, Aquaria pulled her hand back.

"Thanks for caring about me," she said softly, smiling at him.

"I wasn't caring, I was curious, I'm telling you," he said, trying to keep up his front and stay cool. Aquaria rolled her eyes as she got up.

"Okay Draco," she replied, sounding as though she didn't believe him, and she dove perfectly into the lake, barely making a splash. "Want to come in?" she asked Draco when she popped back up. Draco looked disgusted.

"No way," he said quickly.

"Why?" Aquaria asked, treading water and lolling about in the water like an otter.

"Because--Just because! You should know why. You know everything else about me, don't you?" His voice was irritated.

"Well, I don't, and I won't, unless you tell me. Are you going to?" she asked quietly. Draco looked hard at her, trying to decide whether or not to trust her with the secrets he'd kept since childhood. Her eyes were hypnotic, and begging him to tell her everything. He felt compelled to tell her and came closer to the water's edge, lying on his stomach so their faces were level. He sighed.

"When I was three, my father tried to teach me how to swim in the small lake on the estate. You remember, you used to spend all day down there with your mother when your family would visit. Never really understood you," he shook his head, smirking a little. "Anyways, he took me to the middle of the lake and watched me sink. He expected after teaching me a few things in the shallower part, that I'd be smart enough to swim in the deep part. He was angry I couldn't swim and wouldn't help me. He left and my mother had to come in to save me. I was nearly…Another minute and she would have been too late." He paused. "My father beat her later for babying me." Draco stared at a blade of grass in front of him.

"But you _were_ a baby! How could he expect you to swim?" Aquaria was shocked.

"My father had very high standards. In his eyes, I could never do anything right, and I've never measured up to his standards," Draco told her. "I tried to be like him, I tried to become him, really…but in the end, my conscience got the better of me," he half-smiled, looking tired. The smile faded and a vacant look came to his steel-gray eyes. "Another trait he loathed above all." Draco sat up and closed his eyes, not wanting to show any emotion and afraid his eyes might betray him. Suddenly Draco felt arms wrapping around his shoulders. He opened his eyes and turned his head to face Aquaria, who had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I pulled you in on Friday. I didn't know," she whispered. Draco felt uncomfortable. Only his mother had ever cried over him. And they were here so Draco could find out what was wrong with her, and exactly the opposite happened. Draco was getting the feeling that getting the opposite results desired might always happen with Aquaria.

"Look there you go again, crying," he said awkwardly, shrugging her arms away. Aquaria debated a second of whether or not to be mad at him for pushing her away, but decided to let it go this time.

"So…you've never learned to swim?" she asked.

"No." There was a painfully long pause.

"Would you let me teach you?" Aquaria asked cautiously. She wanted to help Draco--more than anything he needed it, and she knew she needed to.

Draco thought it over. His first impulse had been no, but he held back. If he learned from Aquaria, it would mean spending time with her, and that would mean he could find out everything that happened in the last ten years. "_Aquaria probably thinks I haven't remembered anything at all…but I have a few questions I want answers to_," he thought to himself. There were so many memories he had as a child that she was involved in…but they were so bizarre even for the wizarding world that he couldn't help wondering if he'd dreamed them.

"Yeah, okay, you can teach me to swim. But on two conditions. One, you can't tell _anyone_. And two," he said, "Two, you have to tell me what happened today." Aquaria thought about it.

"Okay." There was a long pause and Draco realized he'd have to drag it out of her.

"So, what was wrong today?" he prompted.

"This may take a bit, so get comfortable." Aquaria sighed. "Today Harry and Ron came in and were talking about Quidditch. Well, that reminded me of Oliver Wood."

"The Gryffindor captain before Potter and Johnson?"

"Yes. When he was still in school, I sort of, well, hated him. I didn't like the way he strutted about, acting like all the girls liked him, and his cocky attitude on the Quidditch field. My dad knew his parents through work, so we knew who each other were, but he was rude and conceited any time he spoke to me, so I tried to stay far away from him. After he graduated, I didn't see him again until last summer. I'd went to a muggle dance club--Oh, shut up I know, _muggles_, _eww_," Aquaria interrupted herself as Draco grimaced at the mention of muggles. "Anyways, we wound up dancing together the whole night. We wound up going back to his flat…we messed around…" Aquaria's voice was barely audible, Draco was straining his ears to hear her. "I got home late that night. After that, he barely wrote, and by the time I was back at school, he hadn't written in a month." Aquaria glanced at Draco and looked away as tears welled up in her eyes. " I know he's a big jerk. I mean he used me, but I just can't seem to get over it."

"Aquaria, look, I'm not good at this comforting shyte," Draco told her honestly. "But I'll tell you this. I'm a guy just like Oliver Wood. I use girls." Aquaria nodded, which chagrined him slightly, though he wasn't sure why. "But guys like Oliver, and me, well, don't get caught up with us. We're not worth your time. Most of the time we mess around with girls who don't care about us either, and move on quickly as we do. But sometimes we go and mess with a girl like you. A girl who wants to fall in love and be for real and have a family. You'll want someone like…like Potter," Draco said, spitting out Harry's last name in anger. He looked at Aquaria and saw she was smiling warmly as she gazed at him.

"You're going to find some girl someday, and fall in love with her, Draco Malfoy," she told him contentedly. He rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Sure 'Ria," he said. Aquaria gave him an odd look.

"A nickname for me already, Draco?" she teased. "C'mon then, take off your shirt and get in the water."

"How do I know this isn't some ploy to get my clothes off and seduce me?" he grumbled as he pulled off his shirt. Aquaria didn't gawk at him, but she did get a good look at Draco's lean muscular boy. Smiling at him impishly, she grabbed his wrist and stared intensely into his eyes.

"You don't," she answered playfully. "But don't worry. I don't want to seduce you," she added as she notice a mischievous glint come to Draco's eyes. She dropped his wrist and walked towards the edge of the lake that sloped into the water, then turned and faced him, her smile still coy. "Not yet, anyway. C'mon." She turned and waded into the water, until Draco could only see the tops of her shoulders and above. He gingerly followed her.

Aquaria, being very considerate and going at the pace Draco was comfortable with, first taught him to tread water, then to float. It took him a while to get used to the water, and get him in a little deeper, but Aquaria didn't rush him. It was an hour or two later when he got the hang of treading water, but he picked up floating in minutes. Draco even sort of liked it.

"It feels like levitating," he laughed, making Aquaria laugh.

"Draco!" she said, still giggling.

"What?"

"I…I just don't remember when the last time I heard you laugh without, you know, making fun of someone, or you being sarcastic," she explained. "Where's Draco, and who are _you_?" she teased. They faced each other, treading water.

"Maybe I don't know either," Draco replied softly. They treaded water a second more, then Draco headed for the banks. "I'm getting tired, how about you?" he asked. Aquaria followed him, and they both got dressed and dried off.

"You did really well, Dray," Aquaria told him as they walked up to the school.

"Dray? You have a nickname for me already?" he mimicked her. Aquaria elbowed him playfully.

"Shall we come down here tomorrow night, same time?" she asked.

"Yes, all right," Draco agreed. He made for the front doors, but Aquaria pulled him to the side of the school.

"Come this way," she whispered, walking to the side instead of the front doors. She pulled her wand out and hit three of the large stone bricks in the wall, and the wall pulled away into a secret passage. She put a finger to her lips and took Draco's hand, leading him through the passage.

"Lumos," Aquaria said, her voice barely a whisper, and the tip of her wand was lit. She loosened her grip on Draco's hand, because it was starting to hurt. After five minutes she had to let go of his hand because she felt as though it was burning, and it was freaking her out.

"Watch your head here…twist coming up ahead…" Aquaria would warn him. There were trick walls and ceilings in the passage as there were in most of the secret passage in the school. "Somewhere around here there's two walls that--oof!" As Aquaria was turning around to tell Draco, the walls in question pulled out and came flying at them. Draco grabbed Aquaria around the waist and twisted to try to protect her from getting hit, and the walls mostly only pressed on Draco, squashing Aquaria tighter in his arms. He smiled weakly, his arms aching slightly.

"What were you saying, Aquaria?" She lowered her eyes.

"There's two walls that pull together and the person gets caught between them. I think it was supposed to scare anyone who wasn't supposed to use the passage back out, because they open up within a minute, and there aren't any more booby traps after this. Usually it makes a room the size of a cupboard, and usually, it really isn't this tight, but then, it's usually only me here too." Her face felt hotter and her heart was beating a little quicker. "Hope you're not claustrophobic."

"Um…how long did you say it is until they move?" Draco asked, smiling roguishly at her, trying to get her to look at his face. Draco's hands, which had been originally around her waist when he'd tried to shield her, were now around her back…her lower back…her much, much lower back. Well, he wasn't really complaining.

Aquaria realized Draco's hands were on her rear end and couldn't look him in the eye. Oh, this was too embarrassing…

"Usually in a minute, so not--" The walls moved away but Draco and Aquaria didn't. "Um…your hands are on my butt," Aquaria said after a second, finally looking him in the eye. Draco quickly removed his hands and Aquaria quickly started moving on.

"Sorry my hand has a mind of its own, I swear," he said. For some reason unknown to Draco, this was making him nervous--which made him more nervous. Aquaria pulled him into something that looked like an elevator lift, and pulled out her wand and tapped five bricks this time. They were suddenly going up and soon, a door appeared, which Aquaria opened to lead Draco into a tower he'd never been in before. It was huge; the part they were in was closed in, but there was a door that led through to a stone court yard he could see through some of the glass-less windows that encircled the closed in walls of the tower. The gardens in the court yard looked overgrown and wild, some of the stone walls within it were dilapidated and crumbling. But it had an eerie beauty about it that mystified Draco.

"This is the West Tower," Aquaria whispered. "No one uses it anymore, except me. Nice place to come to get away from people."

"I know I'd come up here often, then," Draco laughed quietly, interrupting her thoughts. Aquaria gave him a small smile.

"Well, come on," she led him down a few steps, opened a door, and went down an escalating spiral staircase like the one in Dumbledore's office. Then another door, and they were in the dusty old third floor corridor. They crept outside and stood facing each other.

"Well…I guess this is where I go up and you go down," Aquaria said. Draco stared at her thoughtfully.

"Yep, bye," he said shortly, and hurried down the stairs quietly. Aquaria watched him leave, leaning on the banister.

"_He must be worried someone might see us together_," she thought. She sighed and tiptoed up to Gryffindor Tower.

Draco had finally crawled into bed. He was tired as all hell, but he couldn't drift off just yet. He had forgotten to warn her about Blaise--and she seemed to get along well with Blaise, too-- and he hadn't found out why she had been switched from Ravenclaw. Oh well. "_There's always tomorrow night_," Draco thought as he smiled into his pillow. He wished it would stop, but he couldn't control his smiling. Draco didn't know what scared him worst, the fact that he _was _smiling, the fact that he couldn't control it, the fact that his smiling was becoming a habit, or the person who was causing him to smile.

Aquaria, meanwhile, in her own dorm, sat up on the bay window seat, in her purple, pink, yellow, and white striped pajamas. She pulled her knees up to her chin and sighed contentedly. She had on her muggle portable CD player. (Aquaria found that if you went to Professor Dumbledore and asked for his permission to use a muggle appliance while on school grounds, and he approved, he would fix it so it would work properly without chizpurfles getting into them.) Aquaria was listening to the third album of American muggle musician, Britney Spears. Her favorite song, "That's Where you Take Me," was on. Aquaria loved the way it sounded like a music box.

"All things fall into place…My heart it feels so safe…You are my melody…That's where you take me…With you I get so high…Lost in the crystal sky…You are this melody…That's where you take me…" Aquaria sighed inwardly. Why couldn't she find one guy, just one guy? To Oliver, she was just another name, and face…but why was she still stuck on him? Aquaria tried to reason with herself. With a final glance at the almost full moon, she crawled into her bed, which was nearest the windows.

"Love," Aquaria decided as she drifted off to sleep, "Is a silly thing to believe in. It only works in fairy tales and that's not quite what my life is." The moon shone on Aquaria as she slept, illuminating her locket and casting its reflection on the walls.

"Today your truth serums should be ready," Snape told the class. "You shall test them on one of the two of you, and I'll come to be sure your results are accurate. He started at the front of the class with Ron and Pansy and began working his way around. Towards the end of the class, Snape was almost at their table. Blaise gave Aquaria an impish smile.

"Do you want to try it?"

"Yeah, all right." She took a sip as Snape came to their cauldron. As the potion kicked in, Aquaria felt as though a part of her was in a trance, and the other part was normal.

"Are kappas found in Mongolia?" Snape asked, giving her some questions to see if she would tell the truth.

"Yes."

"Good, good. Do you know…Narcissa Malfoy?" Snape said in a lower voice, the only other question he could think of asking her to see if she would tell the truth. Draco's ears perked up at the mention of his mother's name.

"Yes," Aquaria murmured. Snape nodded.

"You only took a small sample, so your potion should wear off in a minute or so," he informed as he moved onto the next pair. Aquaria could almost feel her normal state of mind moving slowly back into the part of her mind that was hypnotized.

"Aquaria, um, is the potion still working?" Blaise asked.

"Yes," she replied, blinking a few times. Draco listened in on them as Snape tested Harry.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Blaise said, grinning a little.

"Okay," Aquaria answered unsurely.

"Question one, do you find me attractive, at all?" Aquaria willed her mouth to stay shut, but the potion forced her to say what she was thinking.

"Yes," Aquaria was forced to answer as she blushed. Thank God the trance was fading more and more. Draco wasn't taking too well, thought; his jaw was clenched and his hands were curled into fists at his sides.

"Question two; tomorrow, would you like to go the Three Broomsticks with me on a date?"

"Yes," Aquaria answered truthfully, and smiled. The potion had worn off, and she no longer had to fight her mouth.

"And three--"

"Sorry Blaise, the potion's faded. But what time should I meet you in the Three Broomsticks?" She beamed at him. Blaise raised his brow a second, surprised probably that she, a Gryffindor, was willingly agreeing to a date with a Slytherin, then smiled seductively in return.

"Does twelve sound good?"

"Yeah all right." Everyone around them was staring at Aquaria and Blaise as though they'd suddenly grown wings or something. Aquaria was trying not to laugh. She glanced over at Draco, thinking he would think it funny like she had, but her grin faded as she saw his face. Draco was glowering with fury at Blaise. Aquaria's pace quickened; Draco looked ready to rip Blaise limb from limb. Certainly not because of her, but what other reason could there have been? He then turned his steel gray glare on her, his expression not changing and daring her to look away. Aquaria did, and Draco felt so much anger racing through his veins he couldn't think straight. Finally he turned away, thoroughly disgusted. The bell rang and Aquaria hurried out after a short goodbye to Blaise, Hermione not too far behind her and dragging Ron as well. Harry stopped to glare at both Draco and Blaise before he followed them out. Draco returned the glare, but Blaise gave Harry a smirk as Harry stalked out of the room. Soon Draco and Blaise were the only two left in the room. Even Professor Snape had left.

"Well, aren't you going to congratulate me?" Blaise sneered.

"For what? Getting a date with a Gryffindor? _Lucky you_," Draco drawled cynically. He refused to let Blaise see how he really felt about this, which even he himself didn't know.

"And I'm sure that's how you really feel," Blaise replied in a sarcastic tone. Draco finally got enough control of his anger to smirk at Blaise, who left. Draco stood alone in the dungeon now. Blaise would pay for this, Draco would make sure. He lost control of his anger again and punched the stone block wall.

"Shit," Draco breathed. The realization hit him as he watched the blood creep down his fist from his knuckles. He was losing his control over his emotions he had worked so long and hard to maintain, and all in one week…since he had met, or re-met, rather, Aquaria. This had to stop.

Aquaria slid into a back corner seat in her Arithmancy class after the break she had after Potions. She didn't understand why people were so shocked about her date with Blaise tomorrow. Nobody acted that way when everyone found out about Parvati and Draco. Aquaria narrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose at the thought of them. Okay, so maybe _she_ had. But seriously, nobody else had.

Mandy Brocklehurst scurried in quite quickly and plunked down beside Aquaria.

"Hey Mand--" Aquaria started, but Mandy interrupted her.

"Is it true that you've a date with that hot Slytherin, Blaise Zabini?" she whispered loudly. Aquaria nodded, dumbfounded that news could travel so fast. Mandy grinned.

"Lucky you Aqua; he's _so _hot!" she giggled, shaking her honey blond hair out of her navy-blue eyes. Aquaria couldn't help but laugh with her. Aquaria had known Mandy since they were born, practically, and they'd both started at Hogwarts in Ravenclaw. Even though Aquaria was no longer in Ravenclaw, Mandy was still her closest friend, though they didn't get to talk as much because they had less classes with each other. Aquaria sighed.

"So far, you're the only one taking it well. During break, Hermione kept asking me if I felt all right, and Ron just kept repeating "Zabini's a Slytherin" and Harry…Harry wouldn't look at me or say anything at all," Aquaria finished sadly. It hurt her a little that Harry didn't seem to care about Aquaria and showed no interest as a friend, as Hermione and Ron did, although their reaction wasn't quite what she was looking for. Mandy noticed Aquaria's mood change.

"Maybe Harry likes you and he's jealous," Mandy suggested gently.

"Hermione thinks so too, but I doubt it," Aquaria said.

"Well, _you're_ the one who is so against assuming, so give it some time and see," Mandy said wisely. Professor Vector came into class as the late bell rang.

"Alright class; please get out your Arithmantic charts," she began cheerfully, and Aquaria tried to push the Slytherin-Gryffindor situation to the side as she figured out the numerology of the famous witches and wizards listed on their latest worksheet, but it was not an easy task. The Arithmancy charts looked like this:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A B C D E F G H I

J K L M N O P Q R

S T U V W X Y Z

Arithmancy was one of Aquaria's favorite subjects. It worked by adding the letters by their assigned number. The character number was the first requested on the sheet, and to get that number she had to add all the letters of both the first and last names and reduce the sum of all the numbers until it was a single digit number.

"_So…it's 1 plus 3 plus 2 plus 3 plus 1 plus 1…That is 10, which equals 1. First name is: the individual; single-minded, and determined. Leaders and inventors…don't like to take orders, and can be loners, that seems accurate to me! Now, last name…4 plus 1 plus 4 plus 2 plus 3 plus 5 plus 4 plus 6 plus 9 plus 5 equals 45, which equals 9…9…represents completion and achievement to the fullest degree, dedicates themselves to the service of others, as teachers, scientists or humanitarians. Strongly determined, work tirelessly and are an inspiration to others; yeah, I'd say so_," she smiled to herself. "_It's Grandfather to a tee_."

Half the worksheet later, the bell rang and Aquaria and Mandy walked out together, Mandy mostly talking.

"So you will tell me how everything goes with Blaise, right?" Mandy asked pleadingly.

"Yup," Aquaria agreed and she nodded. Mandy gave her a strange look. "What?"

"You're awfully quiet," Mandy answered knowingly.

"Er…well, I don't know," Aquaria replied. "I've been feeling sort of funny lately."

"Well if you didn't have to go running down to the lake every night to go swimming, you probably wouldn't have caught a cold. That's probably why you're out of it," Mandy scolded her in a low voice.

"It's not that kind of funny--But I'm going to be late for Muggle Studies," she interrupted herself hastily.

"Yeah, I have to go to Ancient Runes myself," said Mandy absentmindedly. The two separated and Aquaria sighed with relief. If anyone could wrestle the truth out of her, it was Mandy, and she wasn't about to tell anyone about what she was thinking. Frankly, Aquaria didn't even want to know herself.

Draco sat at the edge of the lake, scowling and waiting for Aquaria.

"Hey Draco," she said cheerfully, suddenly appearing seemingly from nowhere. Draco refused to look at her, but then she began taking off her clothes and as annoyed as he was with her, he couldn't deny his instincts. His scowl remained as he tossed off his own shirt.

"Hey," he answered stiffly. Aquaria suppressed a smile.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, come off it. You're sitting there pouting like a little boy who's had his favorite toy taken away," she giggled. Draco stared at her sullenly, and she wrinkled her nose at him. He couldn't help smiling just the littlest bit.

"Stop it," Draco said stubbornly.

"What, big bad Draco Malfoy doesn't want to smile, and some ickle girly-girl made him?" she teased, grabbing his sides to tickle him. Draco couldn't help but smile more; he was too ticklish. He turned quickly and pounced on Aquaria, tickling her in return, and she was laughing in a high pitched to try to keep from getting too loud. Draco pinned her to the ground.

"Draco stop now, please," she gasped, still giggling. Draco chuckled down at her. They were both nearly breathless, so he did. When he calmed down, his sullen look returned. Aquaria gazed up at him, and was about to say something when Draco beat her to it.

"Why do you have to go out with Blaise tomorrow?" he asked sulkily, letting go of her arms, but holding himself up over her. Aquaria cupped his face in her hands and laughed quietly.

"Draco, I don't have to, I want to. What's wrong with that. Or--oh, is it because he's one of _your _ kind?" Aquaria said, making a superior face at him.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Draco asked, knowing the answer.

"Slytherin; Gryffindor?" she said, pointing her finger towards Draco when she said Slytherin and then at herself when she said Gryffindor, then stuck her nose in the air. Draco laughed.

"Well, it doesn't _really_ matter," he said, lowering himself a bit closer to her.

"And why's that?" Aquaria asked warily.

"Because I said so."

"So it only matters or not if you say so?"

"Yep, pretty much." Aquaria crossed her arms over her chest.

"Am I going to teach you to swim tonight or what?" she asked.

"All right then." He got up and then, unexpectedly, picked up Aquaria, carrying her over to the lake.

"Oh, how cute Draco; carrying me like the groom carries the bride over the threshold?" she joked, batting her eyes exaggeratedly. As he got to the deeper side of the lake, Draco smirked.

"Sort of," he answered, and then promptly dropped her into the water. Aquaria floated back up and broke the surface.

"_Such_ a gentleman," she said sarcastically.

"Well, I _did _carry you over the threshold…the threshold of the lake," he said smugly.

"Why don't you come down here and face me like a man," Aquaria purred playfully, lolling about in the water.

"Fine…but…will I be able to touch the bottom with out going underwater?" he asked, grinning a little.

"What do you care? You can tread water now, you devil," she teased. Draco jumped in, and Aquaria pulled him up and clung to his shoulders…just to be on the safe side, of course. He made a face at her.

"You don't have any faith in me; you don't believe I can do anything right," Draco complained.

"Oh no, that's not it at all. I just want a big strong man to hold onto," she said sweetly and he snickered. When she didn't let go, he quickly pulled away from her. His shoulders were tingling somewhat where her hands had been.

"C'mon, teach already," he said. An hour later, Draco was doing a fairly decent American crawl, and his treading had much improved. Tired, they pulled themselves out of the water and dragged themselves onto the bank, flopping down beside one another. They stared up the sky, which tonight looked like a blanket of stars with bits of black velvet sky in it. Aquaria sat up and stared at Draco and he glance at her.

"Sit up a minute," she ordered, and he did. Aquaria smiled.

"I like your hair like this," she told him, reaching over to play with it. It was soft and curled around his face. Draco shook his head and batted away her hand.

"It's a mess. Unruly and stubborn."

"It's like you, then. Why do you slick it down or spike it all the time?"

"Because that's the way I like it."

"I like it _this_ way."

"Bully for you, then." Aquaria lay back down, irritated. Self-righteous bastard. Suddenly Draco was laying over her. His eyes were liquid silver, and she felt as though they were pouring through her body. Her face felt hotter, and her knees felt weak. Then Draco backed away and put his shirt on.

"I'm tired. Have fun with_ Blaise_ tomorrow," he added with a harsh edge to his voice. Draco stalked off, not looking back, and slipping through another entrance into the castle, leaving Aquaria alone at the edge of the lake. Of all the other nights she had come down here before, before Draco had even came back into her life, she'd never felt so alone as she did now. Holding back tears, she made her way back up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Aquaria! Aquaria! Get up! You have to get ready! You've got less than an hour to get ready for your date!" Hermione shook her. Aquaria moaned.

"Tired wanna sleep," was all that Hermione could distinguish. Hermione sighed, and made towards the door as thought to leave Aquaria alone again in their empty dormitory.

"Oh, okay," she said casually. "I'll just tell Blaise when I see him later that you couldn't be bothered waking up," she added slyly.

"Fine, I'm getting up," Aquaria grumbled.

"Why are you so tired, anyway? You went up to bed at eleven last night, earlier than me. You wouldn't happen to be sneaking out, would you," she asked warily.

"No," Aquaria replied guiltily, "Not really, anyways…" Hermione gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's a yes or no thing, Aqua," she said.

"Fine, then yes. Are you going to give me detention or take points?" she asked haughtily, tilting her chin at her. Hermione was Head Girl, after all Hermione gave her a pointed look.

"No, I'm not going to tell on you. I'm just going to tell you that it's dangerous and you're risking lots of points for our House if someone else catches you. Not to mention other trouble you'll get in. I'm just looking out for you."

"Well I appreciate it, but it's…something I can't help," Aquaria said quietly.

The two girls locked eyes, Hermione standing at the door looking quite neat and preppy, Aquaria looking a mess with her bed head hair and disheveled night clothes. After a minute of a staring contest, they both seemed to understand each other and smiled.

Draco stood at the large window of the dormitory common room that viewed the grounds of the school. Suddenly he felt arms around his waist and his heart raced. What was she doing here?

"Aqu-" he started to choke out, but as he turned around he saw Pansy, and stiffened in surprise, trying not to cringe.

"Pansy, you're…you're not supposed to be in her," he said blandly, smiling weakly.

"Blaise let me in, he said it'd be alright," she told him brightly. Draco looked over pansy's head and saw Blaise grinning maliciously as he leaned against the doorway.

"Yeah, I was just stopping in to get my cloak…nearly time for me and Aquaria's, you know, _date_," he said, his grin turning Cheshire as he noticed Draco bristle at the emphasis Blaise had put on "date." Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Really Blaise, a Gryffindor? You know you could do better," she said reproachfully, linking her arm with his coquettishly. Blaise smirked at her.

"I frankly don't care if I could or couldn't, Pansy darling. I really like Aquaria, a lot; she's…special," he sighed, his cheesiness making Draco want to retch all over him. Yeah Aquaria was special; special in the head to actually go out with Blaise. "And she's quite a crumpet, wouldn't you say, Draco?"

"Draco doesn't go around ogling other girls; we're quite happy together," she snapped defensively, now going back to Draco's side.

"Okay, okay, sorry." Blaise smirked his way into his bedroom and came back in a minute with his navy blue cloak. "I'll be leaving you two, then; don't want to be late," he said, winking at them, and smirking at Draco as though he knew how well Draco wanted to throw him off the astronomy tower, he left. Suddenly an idea sprung into Draco's head.

"Say Pansy, a butterbeer sounds pretty good right now, what do you say we run down and get one too?" he finished by kissing her long and slowly.

"I would love to," she answered dumbly after Draco broke away, smiling stupidly. "_I still have a chance here_," he thought determinedly. "_And Malfoys always win._"

Aquaria and Blaise had been sitting in the Three Broomsticks for about a half hour, and they'd been having a great time. They'd been in Honeydukes only a while ago, and Blaise seemed quite willing to buy the entire contents of the shop for Aquaria if she'd wanted it. They were now enjoying a box of chocolates he'd gotten for them.

"You know, I hated Potions," Blaise started. Okay it was a lie; it was a good subject for him. Aquaria raised a brow.

"Really? Even though Snape favors you. I bet that makes it easier," she said pointedly.

"Okay, maybe I didn't hate it. But it's a hell of a lot better now that I know you," he said, taking hold of her hand. Aquaria laughed.

"Well, I still don't like Potions. But _you _are a plus," she grinned. Blaise came closer.

"You know, if you hadn't taken that truth serum, I wouldn't have the guts to ask you out," Blaise told her, his voice low and his eyes boring into her. They were so close their legs were touching under the table, and against her very better judgment, his somewhat cliché lines were working on her.

"Oh yeah?" she said softly.

"Yeah, and I probably wouldn't be brave enough to do this either," he murmured huskily, his hand on her chin. Aquaria knew what was coming next and tried to think of something. He was only inches away from her lips when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, Blaise! Imagine seeing you here," Someone's hand was on Blaise's shoulder, a hand Aquaria was very glad to see. Blaise turned around to scowl at the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. Blaise glanced at Aquaria, who'd already moved back and pulled her hand away.

"Hello, Draco," Blaise answered coldly, mad that Draco had purposely ruined his chance.

"Hey Draco," Aquaria said, grinning a little at him and feeling slightly relieved. Pansy noticed that Aquaria seemed familiar and friendly, and narrowed her brow, trying to decide if Aquaria was a threat or not.

"Don't mind if we join you, do?" Draco asked, slinging his arm around Pansy's shoulder. He thought he might have seen Aquaria's brows flex a second, but she only smiled.

"No, no, no, go right a head," she answered brightly. "You must be Pansy Parkinson," she added in a polite tone, smiling at Pansy and offering her hand, even though it was very near killing her to be nice to the bitch. Pansy smiled back coldly.

"Yes…You're _that _Gryffindor, aren't you?" she said snidely as she sat down across from her, flicking a glance at Aquaria's hand in contempt.

"Well, I suppose so, but feel free to call me Aquaria," Aquaria answered pointedly, though her smile stayed. She pulled her hand back.

"Yes call her Aquaria, but nothing else; she attacks otherwise, I warn you," Draco joked as he sat down between Pansy and Blaise, snatching up the chocolate Blaise had been going for. Aquaria and Draco both laughed, remembering their second confrontation, and both Pansy and Blaise looked annoyed. Aquaria inspected a chocolate.

"Yuck, pecan," she said as she put it back. Draco dove for it.

"Are you crazy? How can you not like pecans?" Draco asked incredulously. He popped the candy in his mouth. "Mmm…" Aquaria arched her brows.

"I'm allergic," she said pointedly. Draco stopped chewing to stare at her, then swallowed.

"Oh. Sorry." The table was silently, and Aquaria found it rather funny that conversation was just glares being passed around and traded; Blaise to Draco, Draco to Blaise, Pansy to Draco, Pansy to Blaise, Blaise to Pansy, Pansy to Aquaria, Draco to Aquaria. It was kind of ironic that one 'outsider' could turn three Slytherins against one another

"So, umm…." Aquaria tried to think of a general topic they could all discuss civilly, but it was a lot harder than she thought it would be, especially being the only Gryffindor in a group of Slytherins. Talk about being thrown in the snake pit. The only thing she could think of talking about was Quidditch, and she didn't really like it much, which put her on the outs even more so, considering Draco was the Slytherin Captain and Seeker, and Blaise was a Beater, and Aquaria had the feeling that Pansy, regardless of whether or not she really liked it, would say she would to please Draco. "_Oh well, sod it and take a chance_," she thought bravely.

"So…how's your House doing in Quidditch?" she asked gingerly. Draco perked up.

"Fan-bloody-tastic! We're going to completely cremate the Gryffindors," he answered relishingly, forgetting who he was talking to.

"Yeah, we're going to humiliate them!" Blaise laughed.

"Do _you_ play, Aquaria?" Pansy asked bitingly. "You look like the kind of girl who'd like to play sports," she added, making it sound like a bad thing.

"As a matter of fact, I _did_ use to play. I played in second year, and quit in third," Aquaria responded quietly, and primly took a sip of butterbeer. Draco and Blaise stared at her. Aquaria realized by the look on Draco's face that it was a stupid thing to say, even if it did shut Pansy up.

Draco thought maybe he'd heard wrong. If she was afraid of heights, what the hell had she been doing on a Quidditch team? The amount of mysteries surrounding Aquaria were adding up quite quickly.

"What position did you play?" Blaise asked.

"Chaser," Aquaria said, and took another long sip of her butterbeer.

"Why'd you quit, did you get kicked off the team?" Pansy asked spitefully, mad that she had practically handed Aquaria both of the boys' attentions.

"No…There was an accident. So Blaise, you wanna go for a walk?" Aquaria asked quickly. Talking about Quidditch hadn't been as bad as she had thought it'd be; it was most definitely worse.

"Yes, let's," Blaise said eagerly, jumping up quickly. He glanced at Draco and smirked gleefully at Draco's furious look. Aquaria got up as well, and noting Draco's face and how Pansy was clutching his arm as though he was about to float off, an anger she hadn't known before pulsed through her. She laced her hand with Blaise and gave a triumphant smile to spite Draco. Blaise only grinned more.

"Ready to go then?" he asked.

"Yep. Bye. Nice meeting you Pansy," Aquaria added woodenly.

"The pleasure was mine; I'm sure," Pansy answered, sounding as though every word was biting her as she glared at Aquaria.

"Goodbye," Draco said stonily, looking away, not even bothering to glare at Blaise as he pulled Aquaria away. As soon as Pansy was busy with her drink and the remains of the chocolates Aquaria and Blaise had left, he glanced back just in time to see Blaise leading Aquaria through the door, but Aquaria was still looking at Draco. Was it Draco's imagination, or did Aquaria really look wistful? She slipped through the door and was gone. His stomach dropped as though he'd been in a lift. "_Goodbye_."

At half past midnight, Aquaria sat beside the lake in her bathing suit, tears streaming down her face silently.

"Where is he? Why was he so mad today? Why doesn't he understand anything?" she whispered to herself. Aquaria heard hooves behind her and jumped up, startled. "Firenze!" Before her stood a centaur with a palomino horse body, pale white blond hair, and light sapphire blue eyes. "What are you…"

"I felt you…and I miss you, Love," Firenze said softly. Aquaria ran to him, threw her arms around his neck and sobbed freely. "Who's hurt you?" Firenze asked, concerned. He wrapped his own arms around her back.

"Blaise--I didn't want to kiss him and I did, sort of--he kissed me--I ran away from him. And Draco--he hates me. He's supposed to be here, with me right now," Aquaria cried, her sentences blurred. Firenze rubbed her back gently.

"Come with me to the forest tonight," he suggested, kissing her cheek gently as she clung to him, still crying.

"But Grandfather would be angry if I did, if he found out," Aquaria whispered regretfully. Firenze smiled.

"We will explain it to Dumbledore; he is sure to understand," he assured her. "Your father still comes, though rarely.

"Well, maybe…" Firenze began leading Aquaria towards the Forbidden Forest, when suddenly a tall, lean, pale figure was coming towards them. It was Draco.

"Aquaria!" he called out rather boldly, considering the time. Firenze and Aquaria looked at Draco, then each other.

"_That's _the one that Murcus said you've been spending all your time with?" he asked, a brow raised. "Possessive little thing, isn't he?" Aquaria blushed.

"Not _all_ my time. Besides, he needs _a lot _of help; he deserves a lot of time," Aquaria defended herself. "Besides, I don't see that being either yours _or _Murcus's business." They both laughed

"Aquaria, come here! What are you doing with that--that centaur?" He looked angry, and began to run.

"Quickly, on my back," urged Firenze, and he helped Aquaria climb up. "Hold on." Firenze galloped towards the forest.

"Aquaria, no!" Draco said louder still. He chased them, but they were deep in the forest before he had even made it to the place they'd be standing. Why had she left, was she insane? He'd been a little late, yes; but with a good reason. Now he was going to have to wait until tomorrow, at least. Draco felt nervous. A centaur, a young male one barely older than themselves, had coaxed her into the forest. What if she was in danger? He knew centaurs were notorious for kidnapping and seducing women, and with Aquaria in nothing more than her swim suit, Draco knew they were going to consider her a grand prize. He saw a light turn on, near the edge of the wood in the other direction. A dog started barking and Draco realized that great big oaf of a boarhound Hagrid kept must have heard him before. Well, it was pointless for him to stand around in the dark and wait to get in trouble, and he couldn't possibly go to try and find Aquaria. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of silvery material and his wand.

"Maximiso" he muttered, and the material grew to the size of a large cloak, which in fact, it was. Draco slipped it around himself and became invisible, making his journey back to the castle slightly safer.


End file.
